Storable steering wheel and vehicle

Abstract

The invention provides a storable steering wheel and a vehicle, the storable steering wheel comprises an upper rim, the upper rim comprises a first arc-shaped hub part and a first connecting part, the first arc-shaped hub part is connected with the first connecting part, the first arc-shaped hub part is provided with a first rotating shaft, and the first arc-shaped hub part can rotate along the first rotating shaft; and the lower rim comprises a second arc-shaped hub part and a second connecting part, the second arc-shaped hub part is connected with the second connecting part, the second arc-shaped hub part is provided with a second rotating shaft, the second arc-shaped hub part can rotate along the second rotating shaft, the second rotating shaft is parallel to the first rotating shaft, and the second rotating shaft is located above the first rotating shaft. According to the storable steering wheel, the comfort of a driver can be improved when the storable steering wheel is in a storage state, and the space in a vehicle is effectively saved.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on May 17, 2024, with application number 202421094094.9 and invention name “Storable Steering Wheel and Vehicle”, all contents of which are incorporated by reference in this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of vehicles, and more particularly, to a stowable steering wheel and a vehicle. Background Art

[0003] As smart cars are widely used in daily life, users expect smart cars and related devices to bring more comfortable and intelligent experience. In this context, foldable steering wheels are becoming more and more popular among users. Foldable steering wheels are not only a tool for driving a vehicle, but also an important bridge connecting the driver and the vehicle's intelligent system.

[0004] Therefore, the intelligent design of the foldable steering wheel and the convenience of the storage function have become one of the important ways to realize vehicle intelligence and improve driving safety and comfort. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present application provides a foldable steering wheel and a vehicle, which can improve the comfort of the driver when the foldable steering wheel is in the folded state and effectively save space in the vehicle.

[0006] In a first aspect, a storable steering wheel is provided, comprising: an upper rim, the upper rim comprising a first arc-shaped hub portion and a first connecting portion, the first arc-shaped hub portion being connected to the first connecting portion, the first arc-shaped hub portion having a first rotating shaft, and the first arc-shaped hub portion being rotatable along the first rotating shaft; a lower rim, the lower rim comprising a second arc-shaped hub portion and a second connecting portion, the second arc-shaped hub portion being connected to the second connecting portion, the second arc-shaped hub portion having a second rotating shaft, the second arc-shaped hub portion being rotatable along the second rotating shaft, the second rotating shaft being parallel to the first rotating shaft, and the second rotating shaft being located above the first rotating shaft.

[0007] In a possible implementation, the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion may be in the form of gears, or connecting shafts.

[0008] In a possible implementation, the stowable steering wheel further includes a central portion, which is mounted on a steering column of the vehicle, and the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion may be completely or partially located in the central portion.

[0009] In the embodiment of the present application, since the second rotating shaft of the retractable steering wheel is located above the first rotating shaft, such an arrangement can prevent the first arc-shaped hub portion and the second arc-shaped hub portion from interfering with each other during the retraction process, thereby providing a structural basis for the first arc-shaped hub portion and the second arc-shaped hub portion to rotate in the same direction. In addition, such an arrangement can improve the driver's comfort when the retractable steering wheel is in the retracted state and effectively save space in the vehicle.

[0010] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, when the retractable steering wheel is in a first mode, the first arc-shaped hub portion and the second arc-shaped hub portion are in a first plane; when the retractable steering wheel is in a second mode, the second connecting portion is used to drive the second arc-shaped hub portion to rotate along the first direction to the second plane, and the first connecting portion is used to drive the first arc-shaped hub portion to rotate along the first direction to a third plane, an angle between the second plane and the first plane is a first preset value, and an angle between the third plane and the first plane is a second preset value.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the first mode may be a non-storage mode of the storable steering wheel, and the first mode may correspond to the driving mode of the vehicle, that is, when the vehicle is driving or the driving mode is turned on, the storable steering wheel is in the first mode; the second mode may be a storage mode of the storable steering wheel, and the second mode may correspond to the parking mode of the vehicle, that is, when the vehicle turns on the parking mode, the storable steering wheel is in the second mode.

[0012] In a possible implementation, the first direction may be a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction.

[0013] In a possible implementation manner, the first preset value and the second preset value may be equal, that is, the second plane may be parallel to the third plane.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the stowable steering wheel further includes an electric drive assembly configured to drive the first arc-shaped hub portion and the second arc-shaped hub portion to move into a body of the vehicle.

[0015] In an embodiment of the present application, during the storage process of the retractable steering wheel, the second arc-shaped hub portion and the first arc-shaped hub portion can be rotated in the same direction to the second plane and the third plane, respectively. In this way, the convenience of the retractable steering wheel during the storage process can be achieved, and the comfort of the driver during the storage process of the retractable steering wheel can be improved.

[0016] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first connecting portion includes: a first connecting axis and a second connecting axis, the first connecting axis and the second connecting axis are on the same straight line, and the first connecting axis and the second connecting axis are used to realize the first rotating axis.

[0017] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the second connecting portion includes: a third connecting shaft, a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, a third connecting rod and a fourth connecting rod, the third connecting shaft is used to realize the second rotating shaft, wherein the first end of the third connecting shaft is connected to the first end of the second connecting rod through the first connecting rod, the second end of the third connecting shaft is connected to the first end of the fourth connecting rod through the third connecting rod, the second connecting rod and the fourth connecting rod are on the same straight line and are parallel to the third connecting shaft, and the second end of the second connecting rod and the second end of the fourth connecting rod are respectively connected to the two ends of the second arc-shaped hub portion.

[0018] In the embodiment of the present application, the first rotating axis can be realized by the first connecting axis and the second connecting axis, and the second rotating axis can be realized by the third connecting axis. Such an arrangement can ensure that the first arc-shaped hub portion and the second arc-shaped hub portion do not interfere with each other during the storage process. In addition, through the arrangement of the first connecting rod to the fourth connecting rod, the structure of the lower wheel rim can be strengthened, which is conducive to ensuring that the second arc-shaped hub portion can be better stored.

[0019] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first connecting portion is a first gear, the first gear is used to implement the first rotating shaft, and the second connecting portion is a second gear, and the second gear is used to implement the second rotating shaft.

[0020] In the embodiment of the present application, the first connecting part can be set as the first gear, and the second connecting part can be set as the second gear. Such a processing method can simplify the structure of the first connecting part and the second connecting part, which is conducive to ensuring that the first arc-shaped hub part and the second arc-shaped hub part rotate in the same direction.

[0021] In a second aspect, a storable steering wheel is provided, comprising: an upper rim, the upper rim comprising a third arc-shaped hub portion and a third connecting portion, the third arc-shaped hub portion being connected to the third connecting portion, the third arc-shaped hub portion having a third rotating shaft, and the third arc-shaped hub portion being rotatable along the third rotating shaft; a lower rim, the lower rim comprising a fourth arc-shaped hub portion and a fourth connecting portion, the fourth arc-shaped hub portion being connected to the fourth connecting portion, the fourth arc-shaped hub portion having a fourth rotating shaft, and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion being rotatable along the fourth rotating shaft; when the storable steering wheel is in a fourth mode, the diameters of the third arc-shaped hub portion and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion are different.

[0022] In a possible implementation, the fourth mode may be a storage mode of the stowable steering wheel, and the fourth mode may correspond to the parking mode of the vehicle, that is, after the parking mode of the vehicle is turned on, the stowable steering wheel is in the fourth mode.

[0023] In an embodiment of the present application, when the retractable steering wheel is in the retracted state, the diameters of the third arc-shaped hub portion and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion are different. Such a configuration can facilitate better storage of the third arc-shaped hub portion and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion, thereby effectively saving space in the vehicle, and is also beneficial to improving the driver's comfort when the retractable steering wheel is in the retracted state.

[0024] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the third rotation axis and the fourth rotation axis are on the same straight line.

[0025] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, when the retractable steering wheel is in the third mode, the third arc-shaped hub portion and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion are in a fourth plane; when the retractable steering wheel is in the fourth mode, the fourth connection portion is used to drive the fourth arc-shaped hub portion to rotate along the first direction to the fifth plane, and the third connection portion is used to drive the third arc-shaped hub portion to rotate along the first direction to the fifth plane, and the angle between the fifth plane and the first plane is a third preset value.

[0026] Among them, the third mode can also be called a non-storage mode, and the third mode can correspond to the driving mode of the vehicle, that is, when the vehicle turns on the driving mode, the storable steering wheel is in the third mode.

[0027] In a possible implementation, the first direction may be a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction.

[0028] In a possible implementation, the stowable steering wheel further includes an electric drive assembly configured to drive the third arc-shaped hub portion and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion to move into a body of the vehicle.

[0029] In an embodiment of the present application, during the storage process of the retractable steering wheel, the fourth arc-shaped hub portion and the third arc-shaped hub portion can be rotated in the same direction to the fifth plane, respectively. In this way, the convenience of the storage process of the retractable steering wheel can be achieved, thereby further improving the driver's comfort when the retractable steering wheel is in the stored state.

[0030] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, when the retractable steering wheel is in the third mode, the third arc-shaped hub portion and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion are in a fourth plane; when the retractable steering wheel is in the fourth mode, the fourth connection portion is used to drive the fourth arc-shaped hub portion to rotate along the first direction to the sixth plane, and the third connection portion is used to drive the third arc-shaped hub portion to rotate along the first direction to the seventh plane, the angle between the sixth plane and the fourth plane is a fourth preset value, the angle between the seventh plane and the fourth plane is a fifth preset value, and the fourth preset value is different from the fifth preset value.

[0031] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the third connecting portion includes: a fourth connecting shaft and a fifth connecting shaft, the fourth connecting shaft and the fifth connecting shaft are on the same straight line, and the fourth connecting shaft and the fifth connecting shaft are used to realize the third rotating shaft.

[0032] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the fourth connecting portion includes: a sixth connecting shaft, a fifth connecting rod, a sixth connecting rod, a seventh connecting rod and an eighth connecting rod, the sixth connecting shaft is used to realize the fourth rotating shaft, wherein the first end of the sixth connecting shaft is connected to the first end of the sixth connecting rod through the fifth connecting rod, the second end of the sixth connecting shaft is connected to the first end of the eighth connecting rod through the seventh connecting rod, the sixth connecting rod and the eighth connecting rod are on the same straight line and are parallel to the sixth connecting shaft, and the second end of the sixth connecting rod and the second end of the eighth connecting rod are respectively connected to the two ends of the fourth arc-shaped hub portion.

[0033] In the embodiment of the present application, the first rotating shaft can be realized by the fourth connecting shaft and the fifth connecting shaft, and the second rotating shaft can be realized by the sixth connecting shaft, and when the retractable steering wheel is in the fourth mode, the diameters of the third arc-shaped hub portion and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion are different. Such an arrangement can ensure that the third arc-shaped hub portion and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion do not interfere with each other during the retraction process, and through the arrangement of the fifth connecting rod to the eighth connecting rod, the structure of the lower wheel rim can be strengthened, which is conducive to ensuring that the fourth arc-shaped hub portion can be better retracted.

[0034] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the sixth connecting axis includes: a first connecting segment and a second connecting segment; when the retractable steering wheel is in the third mode, the first connecting segment and the second connecting segment are separated, so that the length of the fourth connecting portion parallel to the direction of the sixth connecting axis is a first length; when the retractable steering wheel is in the fourth mode, the first connecting segment and the second connecting segment are connected, so that the length of the fourth connecting portion parallel to the direction of the sixth connecting axis is a second length, and the second length is smaller than the first length.

[0035] In an embodiment of the present application, when the retractable steering wheel is in the fourth mode, the first connecting section can be connected to the second connecting section, thereby reducing the length of the fourth connecting portion parallel to the sixth connecting axis to reduce the lower wheel rim. In this way, it can be ensured that when the retractable steering wheel is in the retracted state, the third arc-shaped hub portion and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion are in the same plane, thereby effectively saving space in the vehicle.

[0036] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, a first telescopic portion is provided on the fourth arc-shaped hub portion; when the storable steering wheel is in the third mode, the first telescopic portion is in an extended state, so that the diameter of the fourth arc-shaped hub portion is the third length; when the storable steering wheel is in the fourth mode, the first telescopic portion is in a compressed state, so that the diameter of the fourth arc-shaped hub portion is the fourth length, and the fourth length is smaller than the third length.

[0037] In an embodiment of the present application, when the retractable steering wheel is in the fourth mode, the first telescopic portion can be compressed, thereby reducing the diameter of the fourth arc-shaped hub portion to reduce the lower wheel rim. In this way, it can be ensured that when the retractable steering wheel is in the retracted state, the third arc-shaped hub portion and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion are in the same plane, thereby effectively saving space in the vehicle.

[0038] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, a difference between the first length and the second length is equal to a difference between the third length and the fourth length.

[0039] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, a second telescopic portion is provided on the third arc-shaped hub portion; when the retractable steering wheel is in the third mode, the second telescopic portion is in a compressed state, and the diameter of the third arc-shaped hub portion is a fifth length; when the retractable steering wheel is in the fourth mode, the second telescopic portion is in an extended state, and the diameter of the third arc-shaped hub portion is a sixth length, and the sixth length is greater than the fifth length.

[0040] In an embodiment of the present application, when the retractable steering wheel is in the fourth mode, the second telescopic portion can be extended to increase the diameter of the third arc-shaped hub portion to expand the upper wheel rim. In this way, it can be ensured that when the retractable steering wheel is in the retracted state, the third arc-shaped hub portion and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion are in the same plane, thereby effectively saving space in the vehicle.

[0041] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the diameter of the third arc-shaped hub portion is a seventh length, the diameter of the fourth arc-shaped hub portion is an eighth length, and the eighth length is smaller than the seventh length.

[0042] In an embodiment of the present application, when the retractable steering wheel is in the third mode or the fourth mode, the diameter of the fourth arc-shaped hub portion is always smaller than the diameter of the third arc-shaped hub portion. In this way, it can be ensured that when the retractable steering wheel is in the retracted state, the third arc-shaped hub portion and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion are in the same plane, thereby effectively saving space in the vehicle.

[0043] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first connecting portion is a third gear, the third gear is used to implement the third rotating shaft, and the second connecting portion is a fourth gear, and the fourth gear is used to implement the fourth rotating shaft.

[0044] In the embodiment of the present application, the third connecting part can be set as the third gear, and the fourth connecting part can be set as the fourth gear. Such a processing method can simplify the structure of the third connecting part and the fourth connecting part, which is conducive to ensuring that the third arc-shaped hub part and the fourth arc-shaped hub part rotate in the same direction.

[0045] In a third aspect, a vehicle is provided, comprising: a foldable steering wheel in any one of the implementations of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0046] In a fourth aspect, a steering wheel is provided. The steering wheel (10) comprises an upper hub portion (100), a lower hub portion (200) and a central portion (300); the steering wheel (10) has a driving mode and a storage mode. When the steering wheel (10) is in the driving mode, the upper hub portion (100) and the lower hub portion (200) together form an annular structure surrounding the central portion (300) that can be held by a user, and the upper hub portion (100) and the lower hub portion (200) are respectively located on the upper side and the lower side of the annular structure; when the steering wheel (10) is in the storage mode, the upper hub portion (100) and the lower hub portion (200) are both stored at the lower rear of the central portion (300).

[0047] In actual scenarios, the steering column is usually tilted, and in the height direction of the vehicle, the dashboard of the vehicle is often set above the steering column, and the lower part of the dashboard can provide users with sufficient leg space. If other methods are used to store the steering wheel, such as storing the steering wheel in the dashboard, not only does it need to arrange the steering column in the dashboard (for example, the steering column may need to extend horizontally from the dashboard), but it is also necessary to reserve storage space for the steering wheel in the dashboard; since the instrument screen, air-conditioning vents, etc. usually occupy a large space on the dashboard, it is often difficult to successfully arrange the storage space for the steering wheel in the dashboard. Even if the storage space can be successfully arranged by reducing the size of the steering wheel, on the one hand, the steering wheel size is too small, which will make the user's operating experience too poor, and on the other hand, the design and structure of related components such as the steering column in the steering system will require large-scale adjustments, resulting in this method being difficult to have good universality for different models, thereby making the cost high.

[0048] In the present application, in the storage mode, the upper hub portion and the lower hub portion can be stored at the lower rear of the central portion, and the existing leg space in the vehicle can be fully utilized to store the steering wheel. In particular, when the steering column has a telescopic function, after the steering column is shortened, the interference between the stored steering wheel and the instrument panel can be effectively avoided. Compared with the solution of storing the steering wheel in the instrument panel, there is no need to make large-scale adjustments to the steering column and other related components in the steering system, and it has high versatility for different models, so that the steering wheel can be stored at a lower cost and system complexity. Moreover, since the upper hub portion and the lower hub portion are independent components, when the annular structure has a large radial dimension, this storage method can also ensure a better storage effect.

[0049] In some possible implementations, the steering wheel (10) may further include a fifth connection portion (400) and a sixth connection portion (500). The upper hub portion (100) may be connected to the central portion (300) via the fifth connection portion (400), the fifth connection portion (400) may include a rotating shaft arranged along a first axis (401), and the upper hub portion (100) may rotate along the first axis (401); the lower hub portion (200) may be connected to the central portion (300) via the sixth connection portion (500), the sixth connection portion (500) may include a rotating shaft arranged along a second axis (501), and the lower hub portion (200) may rotate along the second axis (501).

[0050] In some possible implementations, when the steering wheel (10) is in the driving mode, the upper hub portion (100) and the lower hub portion (200) may be in the eighth plane. When the steering wheel (10) is in the storage mode, the fifth connection portion (400) may be used to drive the upper hub portion (100) to rotate along the first direction to the ninth plane, and the sixth connection portion (500) may be used to drive the lower hub portion (200) to rotate along the first direction to the tenth plane.

[0051] In some possible implementations, the second axis (501) is parallel to the first axis (401), and the second axis (501) is located above the first axis (401).

[0052] In some possible implementations, the angle between the ninth plane and the eighth plane may be a first preset value, and the angle between the tenth plane and the eighth plane may be a second preset value.

[0053] In some possible implementations, when the steering wheel (10) is in the storage mode, the diameters of the upper hub portion (100) and the lower hub portion (200) may be different.

[0054] In some possible implementations, the first axis (401) and the second axis (501) may be the same axis; and / or the ninth plane and the tenth plane are the same plane, and the angle between the ninth plane and the eighth plane is a third preset value.

[0055] In some possible implementations, the rotating shaft included in the fifth connecting portion (400) and arranged along the first axis (401) includes a seventh connecting shaft (410) and an eighth connecting shaft (420), and the seventh connecting shaft (410) and the eighth connecting shaft (420) are respectively arranged on two sides opposite to each other of the central portion (300); and / or, the rotating shaft included in the sixth connecting portion (500) and arranged along the second axis (501) includes a ninth connecting shaft (510) and a tenth connecting shaft (520), and the ninth connecting shaft (510) and the tenth connecting shaft (520) are respectively arranged on two sides opposite to each other of the central portion (300).

[0056] In the present application, the seventh connecting shaft and the eighth connecting shaft arranged along the first axis are arranged on both sides of the central part respectively, so that the two connecting shafts can be arranged in a symmetrical manner, which is conducive to balancing the weight on the left and right sides of the steering wheel, so that the steering wheel can be kept in a neutral position when not turned by the user, thereby avoiding unexpected steering / yaw of the vehicle. Moreover, arranging the seventh connecting shaft and the eighth connecting shaft on both sides of the central part is also conducive to reducing the occupation of the core space of the central part by these connecting shafts, and can avoid these connecting shafts occupying the layout space of the airbag.

[0057] In some possible implementations, the steering wheel (10) may further include a first motor (330) and a first transmission assembly (340). The first transmission assembly (340) may be used to drive the seventh connecting shaft (410) to the first motor (330), so that the first motor (330) drives the seventh connecting shaft (410) to rotate along the first axis (401).

[0058] In the present application, by providing the first motor and the first transmission assembly, the user's adjustment process of the steering wheel posture can be simplified. In particular, this method can also make the steering wheel posture adjustment linked with other intelligent functions of the vehicle, which can enrich the user experience.

[0059] In some possible implementations, the steering wheel (10) may also include a second transmission assembly (350), which can be used to transmit and connect the ninth connecting shaft (510) to the first motor (330) so that the first motor (330) drives the ninth connecting shaft (510) to rotate along the second axis (501).

[0060] In the present application, the same motor is used to drive the seventh connecting shaft and the ninth connecting shaft to rotate respectively through different transmission components, which can save the layout space in the steering wheel and save costs. In addition, since the seventh connecting shaft is connected to the upper hub part and the ninth connecting shaft is connected to the lower hub part, when the steering wheel is switched between the driving mode and the storage mode, it is conducive to achieving the synchronous rotation of the upper hub part and the lower hub part, which is conducive to reducing the complexity of control and shortening the time used for mode switching.

[0061] In some possible implementations, the reduction ratio of the first transmission assembly (340) may be smaller than the reduction ratio of the second transmission assembly (350).

[0062] Since the upper and lower hubs are stored at the lower rear of the central part in the storage mode, when the steering wheel switches its posture, the angle required for the upper hub to rotate will be greater than the angle required for the lower hub to rotate. In the present application, by reasonably setting the transmission ratio of the first transmission assembly and the second transmission assembly, the upper and lower hubs can change their postures in the same time period when the steering wheel switches its mode, which helps to save the total time required for mode switching.

[0063] In some possible implementations, the first motor (330) may have a self-locking function.

[0064] In the present application, by adopting a first motor with a self-locking function, the upper and lower wheel hubs can be locked in corresponding postures without providing a mechanical locking mechanism, which is beneficial to saving layout space in the steering wheel.

[0065] In some possible implementations, the steering wheel (10) may further include a first locking pin (363), the upper hub portion (100) may include a first locking hole (112) that cooperates with the first locking pin (363), and the lower hub portion (200) may include a second locking hole (212) that cooperates with the first locking pin (363).

[0066] In the present application, since both the first lock hole and the second lock hole can cooperate with the first lock pin, the upper and lower wheel hub parts can be locked at the same time through the lock pin. Compared with the method of using multiple lock pins to lock the upper and lower wheel hub parts respectively, the number of parts in the steering wheel used to drive the lock pin to move can be reduced, which is beneficial to saving the layout space in the steering wheel.

[0067] In some possible implementations, the first locking hole (112) and the second locking hole (212) may be coaxially arranged.

[0068] In the present application, the first lock hole and the second lock hole are coaxially arranged, which can further save the space occupied by the lock pin and avoid the failure of the first lock pin that can only cooperate with one of the lock holes due to rotation.

[0069] In some possible implementations, the steering wheel (10) may further include a second motor (370) and a third transmission assembly (380). The third transmission assembly (380) may be used to drive the first lock pin (363) to the second motor (370) so that the first lock pin (363) moves relative to the first lock hole (112) and the second lock hole (212).

[0070] In the present application, a second motor is used to drive the locking pin, which can save the user the manual locking and unlocking operations of the upper and lower wheel hubs, and is also conducive to linkage with other actuators in the cockpit, thereby providing the user with a richer experience.

[0071] In some possible implementations, the third transmission assembly (380) may include a first transmission rod (381), a first lock pin seat (382) for setting the first lock pin (363), and a fourth transmission assembly (383). The first lock pin seat (382) may be connected to the first transmission rod (381) and may be movable along the locking direction of the first lock pin; the fourth transmission assembly (383) may be used to transmit and connect the first transmission rod (381) to the second motor (370).

[0072] In some possible implementations, the first transmission rod (381) and the first locking pin seat (382) may be connected by threaded transmission.

[0073] In the present application, threaded transmission is adopted between the first transmission rod and the first lock pin seat, which can reduce the total length of the parts in the third transmission assembly that can move along the locking direction of the lock pin, and is conducive to saving the layout space in the steering wheel.

[0074] In some possible implementations, when the steering wheel (10) is in the driving mode, the first lock pin (363) can be inserted into the first lock hole (112) and the second lock hole (212); when the steering wheel (10) is in the storage mode, the first lock pin (363) can be outside the first lock hole (112) and the second lock hole (212).

[0075] In some possible implementations, the steering wheel (10) may further include a second locking pin (364) and a fifth transmission assembly (390); the first locking pin (363) and the second locking pin (364) may be disposed on opposite sides of the steering wheel (10). The upper hub portion (100) may further include a third locking hole that cooperates with the second locking pin (364), and the lower hub portion (200) may further include a fourth locking hole that cooperates with the second locking pin (364); the fifth transmission assembly (390) may be used to drive the second locking pin (364) to the second motor (370).

[0076] In the present application, by providing a second locking pin, the upper and lower wheel hubs can still be locked when the first locking pin fails to lock, thereby improving the redundancy of the system. In addition, by using the same motor to drive the first locking pin and the second locking pin respectively through different transmission components, the layout space in the steering wheel can be saved, the cost can be saved, and the complexity of control can be reduced.

[0077] In some possible implementations, the second motor (370) and the first motor (330) may be respectively disposed on opposite sides of the steering wheel (10).

[0078] In the present application, the first motor and the second motor are respectively arranged on two sides of the steering wheel, which is beneficial to the weight balancing of the left and right sides of the steering wheel. Only a lighter counterweight block needs to be set or even no additional configuration block is required to keep the steering wheel in a neutral position, thereby avoiding unexpected steering / yaw of the vehicle.

[0079] In a fifth aspect, a steering system is provided. The steering system may include a steering wheel and a steering column; the steering wheel may be connected to the steering column. The steering wheel may be the steering wheel in the first aspect, the second aspect, or the fourth aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0080] In some possible implementations, the steering column may include a multi-stage column coaxially arranged along the third axis, and two adjacent stages of the multi-stage column are capable of relatively moving along the third axis.

[0081] In a sixth aspect, a control method is provided. The method includes: obtaining control information, the control information is used to indicate a target mode of a steering wheel, the target mode includes a driving mode or a storage mode; according to the control information, controlling the steering wheel to switch to the target mode. The steering wheel may be the steering wheel in the first aspect, the second aspect, or the fourth aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0082] In the present application, the steering wheel is controlled to switch to the target mode according to the control information, so that the steering wheel can automatically switch to the corresponding state in different scenarios, which can reduce the user's manual operation of folding / unfolding the steering wheel and improve the user experience.

[0083] In some possible implementations, the steering wheel may be connected to a steering column, and the steering column may include a multi-stage column coaxially arranged along a third axis, and two adjacent stages of the multi-stage column can move relative to each other along the third axis. The method may also include: controlling the length of the steering column according to the control information.

[0084] In the present application, for the steering control system composed of a steering column and a steering wheel, the postures of the steering wheel and the steering column are controlled according to control information, so that the overall deployment and storage of the steering control system can be achieved, which can save the user's manual operation of the steering control system during the deployment and storage process.

[0085] In some possible implementations, the length of the steering column can vary between a first length and a second length, the first length may be the length of the multi-stage column when it is unfolded along the third axis, and the second length may be the length of the multi-stage column when it is folded along the third axis.

[0086] In the present application, when the length of the steering column can be adjusted, the steering control system can occupy less space after being folded, and the sharp deterioration of the aesthetics due to the excessive length of the steering column after the steering wheel is folded can be avoided.

[0087] In some possible implementations, the steering wheel may be in a driving mode before the mode is switched, and the control information may indicate that the target mode is the storage mode. Controlling the length of the steering column according to the control information may include: according to the control information, first controlling the steering column to be shortened from a first length to a third length, then controlling the steering wheel to switch from the driving mode to the storage mode, and then controlling the steering column to be shortened from the third length to the second length.

[0088] In the present application, for the steering control system composed of the steering column and the steering wheel, when storing, the steering column is controlled to shorten a part of its length first, and then the steering wheel is controlled to switch to the storage mode, which can reserve enough rotation space for the upper and lower wheel hubs, and can prevent the upper and lower wheel hubs from hitting the user during the rotation process. Then, the steering column is controlled to shorten further, so that the steering wheel and the steering column can be stored as a whole at a position farther away from the user, thereby achieving a better storage effect.

[0089] In some possible implementations, the steering wheel may be in a storage mode before the mode is switched, and the control information may indicate that the target mode is a driving mode. Controlling the length of the steering column according to the control information may include: according to the control information, first controlling the steering column to extend from the second length to the third length, then controlling the steering wheel to switch from the storage mode to the driving mode, and then controlling the steering column to extend from the third length to the first length.

[0090] In the present application, for the steering control system composed of the steering column and the steering wheel, when unfolding, the steering column is controlled to extend a certain length first, and then the steering wheel is controlled to switch to the unfolding mode, which can reserve sufficient rotation space for the upper and lower wheel hubs, and can prevent the upper and lower wheel hubs from hitting the surrounding parts (such as the instrument panel, etc.) during the rotation process. Then, the steering column is controlled to extend further, so that the steering wheel can be restored to a position suitable for the user to drive, so that the user can operate the steering wheel.

[0091] In some possible implementations, the steering wheel may be in a driving mode before the mode is switched, and the control information may indicate that the target mode is the storage mode. Controlling the length of the steering column according to the control information may include: according to the control information, controlling the steering column to shorten from a first length to a fourth length, and controlling the steering wheel to remain in the driving mode; when the steering column is at the fourth length, controlling the steering wheel to switch from the driving mode to the driving mode, and controlling the steering column to continue shortening.

[0092] In the present application, for the steering control system composed of the steering column and the steering wheel, when storing, the steering column is controlled to be shortened first, so as to reserve sufficient rotation space for the upper and lower wheel hubs, thereby preventing the upper and lower wheel hubs from hitting the user during the rotation process. Then, the steering wheel and the steering column are controlled to be stored at the same time, thereby saving the time required for the entire storage process and reducing the waiting time of the user.

[0093] In some possible implementations, the steering wheel may be in a storage mode before the mode is switched, and the control information may indicate that the target mode is a driving mode. Controlling the length of the steering column according to the control information may include: according to the control information, controlling the steering column to extend from the second length to a fourth length, and controlling the steering wheel to switch from the storage mode to the driving mode; when the steering column is at the fourth length, controlling the steering column to continue to extend, and controlling the steering wheel to remain in the driving mode.

[0094] In the present application, during the deployment of the steering control system, the steering column is controlled to extend a certain length first, and the steering wheel is controlled to complete the switching of the deployment mode at a position farther away from the user, which can save the time required for the entire deployment process and prevent the upper and lower wheel hubs from hitting the user.

[0095] In some possible implementations, the steering wheel may be in a driving mode before the mode is switched, and the control information may indicate that the target mode is the storage mode. Controlling the length of the steering column according to the control information may include: according to the control information, controlling the steering column to shorten from a first length to a fifth length, and controlling the steering wheel to switch from the storage mode to the driving mode; when the steering column is at the fifth length, controlling the steering column to continue shortening.

[0096] In the embodiment of the present application, during the storage process of the steering control system, the steering column is controlled to retract and the steering wheel is controlled to be retracted synchronously, which can save the time required for the entire storage process. In particular, for a steering wheel with a smaller radial size, this storage method is more concise and has a better effect on the user's perception.

[0097] In some possible implementations, the steering wheel may be in a storage mode before the mode is switched, and the control information may indicate that the target mode is a driving mode. Controlling the length of the steering column according to the control information may include: according to the control information, controlling the steering column to extend from the second length to the fifth length, and controlling the steering wheel to remain in the storage mode; when the steering column is at the fifth length, controlling the steering column to continue to extend, and controlling the steering wheel to switch from the storage mode to the driving mode.

[0098] In the embodiment of the present application, during the deployment of the steering control system, the steering column is first controlled to extend a portion, which can prevent the upper and lower hubs from hitting the surrounding components during the rotation process. Then, the steering column is controlled to continue to extend and the steering wheel is controlled to deploy, which can save the time required for the entire deployment process. In particular, for steering wheels with smaller radial dimensions, this deployment method is more concise and has a better effect on user perception.

[0099] In some possible implementations, the method may further include: during the process of switching to the target mode, when it is detected that the rotation process of the upper hub portion and / or the lower hub portion is blocked, controlling the steering wheel to return to the posture before the mode switching.

[0100] In the present application, when the mode switch is blocked, the steering wheel is controlled to restore the state before the mode switch. This is beneficial to keeping the damage to the user at a lower intensity when the user is hit during the mode switch, and is also beneficial to avoiding damage to the steering wheel due to forced switching to the target mode when the mode switch is blocked.

[0101] In some possible implementations, the vehicle including the steering wheel may also be provided with a driver's seat. The method may also include: adjusting the posture of the driver's seat according to the control information.

[0102] In the present application, the posture of the driver's seat is controlled and adjusted according to the control information, which can further prevent the upper and lower wheels from hitting the user during mode switching, which is beneficial to ensuring the user's personal safety and can also support the cockpit to achieve richer modes.

[0103] In some possible implementations, adjusting the posture of the driver's seat may include: before switching the steering wheel mode, controlling the driver's seat to adjust backward.

[0104] In the present application, before the steering wheel mode is switched, the driver's seat is controlled to move backward, which can provide sufficient rotation space for the steering wheel to avoid the steering wheel hitting the user during the mode switching process.

[0105] In some possible implementations, adjusting the posture of the driver's seat may also include: after the steering wheel is switched to the target mode, controlling the driver's seat to return to the posture before the steering wheel mode is switched.

[0106] In the present application, after the steering wheel mode is switched, the driver's seat is controlled to return to the state before the mode switch, which can save the user from manual adjustment of the seat and improve the user experience.

[0107] In some possible implementations, in the first time period, postures of at least two components among the upper wheel hub portion, the lower wheel hub portion, the steering column, and the seat may be changed simultaneously.

[0108] In the present application, the upper hub portion, the lower hub portion, the steering column and multiple components in the seat can be synchronously adjusted in posture within a first time period, which can greatly save the total time required for the entire storage / deployment process.

[0109] In some possible implementations, controlling the steering wheel to switch to the target mode according to the control information may include: when it is detected that the vehicle is parked, controlling the steering wheel to switch to the storage mode.

[0110] In some possible implementations, during the mode switching process, the length of the steering wheel and the steering column along the third axis may be less than or equal to the first length.

[0111] In the present application, by limiting the total length of the steering wheel and the steering column during mode switching, it is possible to prevent the upper and lower wheel hubs from hitting the user when rotating, which is beneficial to ensuring the personal safety of the user.

[0112] In a seventh aspect, a device is provided, which may be a computing platform, or may be a processor, a processing circuit, a unit or a chip in a computing platform. The device may include units required for executing the method in the sixth aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0113] Exemplarily, the device may include an acquisition unit and a processing unit. The acquisition unit may be used to: acquire control information, the control information is used to indicate a target mode of the steering wheel. The processing unit may be used to: control the steering wheel to switch to the target mode according to the control information.

[0114] In an eighth aspect, a device is provided, comprising: a memory for storing a computer program; and a processor for executing the computer program stored in the memory, so that the device executes the method in the sixth aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0115] In a ninth aspect, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product comprising: a computer program code, when the computer program code is run on a computer, the computer executes the method in the sixth aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0116] In the tenth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein the computer-readable medium stores a computer program. When the computer program runs on a computer, the computer executes the method in the sixth aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0117] In an eleventh aspect, a chip is provided, which includes a circuit for executing the method in the sixth aspect and any possible implementation manner thereof.

[0118] In the twelfth aspect, a vehicle is provided, which may include the steering wheel of the above-mentioned first aspect, second aspect or fourth aspect and any possible implementation thereof, or may include the steering control system of the above-mentioned fifth aspect and any possible implementation thereof, or may include the device of the above-mentioned seventh aspect or eighth aspect and any possible implementation thereof. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0119] Figure 1 This is an application scenario diagram of a foldable steering wheel provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0120] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a foldable steering wheel structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0121] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a storage process of a storable steering wheel provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0122] Figure 4It is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a stowable steering wheel provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0123] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a foldable steering wheel provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0124] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another stowable steering wheel structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0125] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of another stowable steering wheel provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0126] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of another stowable steering wheel provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0127] Fig. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of another stowable steering wheel with a first telescopic portion provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0128] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram of a storage process of another storable steering wheel provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0129] Fig.11 is a schematic diagram of another steering wheel provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0130] Fig.12 is a schematic diagram of another steering wheel provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0131] Fig.13 is a schematic diagram of several ring structures provided in the embodiments of the present application;

[0132] Fig.14 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the steering wheel 10 provided in an embodiment of the present application in different modes;

[0133] Fig.15 is another structural schematic diagram of the steering wheel 10 provided in an embodiment of the present application in different modes;

[0134] Fig.16 It is a schematic diagram of the connection relationship between the upper and lower hub parts and the central part 300 provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0135] Fig.17 is a schematic diagram of the relative position relationship between the axes 401 and 501 provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0136] Fig.18 It is a schematic diagram of a motor arrangement method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0137] Fig.19is a schematic diagram of several locking methods provided in the embodiments of the present application;

[0138] Fig. 20 is a schematic diagram of a driving method of a lock pin provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0139] Fig.21 is a structural schematic diagram of a steering wheel provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0140] Fig. 22 It is a flow chart of a control method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0141] Fig.23 It is a schematic diagram of the storage and deployment method of the steering wheel and steering column provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0142] Fig.24 is another schematic diagram of the storage and deployment method of the steering wheel and steering column provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0143] Fig.25 is another schematic diagram of the storage and deployment method of the steering wheel and steering column provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0144] Fig.26 is another schematic diagram of the storage and deployment method of the steering wheel and steering column provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0145] Fig. 27 is another schematic diagram of the storage and deployment method of the steering wheel and steering column provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0146] Fig.28 is a schematic diagram of a seat adjustment method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0147] Fig.29 is a schematic block diagram of a control device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0148] Fig.30 It is a schematic block diagram of another control device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0149] The technical solution in this application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0150] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified, " / " means or, for example, A / B can mean A or B; "and / or" in this article is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In the present application, "at least one" means one or more, and "multiple" means two or more. "At least one of the following items" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single items or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, c can be single or multiple.

[0151] The prefixes such as "first" and "second" used in the embodiments of the present application are only used to distinguish different description objects, and have no limiting effect on the position, order, priority, quantity or content of the described objects. The use of prefixes such as ordinal numbers used to distinguish description objects in the embodiments of the present application does not constitute a limitation on the described objects. For the statement of the described objects, please refer to the description in the context of the claims or embodiments, and the use of such prefixes should not constitute an unnecessary limitation.

[0152] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0153] The embodiments of the present application provide a foldable steering wheel and a vehicle, which can improve the comfort of the driver when the foldable steering wheel is in the folded state and effectively save space in the vehicle.

[0154] In one embodiment, a storable steering wheel is provided, comprising: an upper rim, the upper rim comprising a first arc-shaped hub portion and a first connecting portion, the first arc-shaped hub portion being connected to the first connecting portion, the first arc-shaped hub portion having a first rotating shaft, and the first arc-shaped hub portion being rotatable along the first rotating shaft; a lower rim, the lower rim comprising a second arc-shaped hub portion and a second connecting portion, the second arc-shaped hub portion being connected to the second connecting portion, the second arc-shaped hub portion having a second rotating shaft, the second arc-shaped hub portion being rotatable along the second rotating shaft, the second rotating shaft being parallel to the first rotating shaft, and the second rotating shaft being located above the first rotating shaft.

[0155] Optionally, the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion may be in the form of gears, or connecting shafts.

[0156] Specifically, the stowable steering wheel can be applied to Figure 1 In the means of transport shown.

[0157] Specifically, Figure 2As shown, the foldable steering wheel may include: an upper wheel rim and a lower wheel rim, the upper wheel rim includes a first arc-shaped hub portion and a first connecting portion, and the two ends of the first arc-shaped hub portion are connected to the two ends of the first connecting portion; the lower wheel rim includes a second arc-shaped hub portion and a second connecting portion, and the two ends of the second arc-shaped hub portion are connected to the two ends of the second connecting portion, and the second rotating shaft of the second arc-shaped hub portion is parallel to the first rotating shaft of the first arc-shaped hub portion, and the second rotating shaft is located above the first rotating shaft. Among them, the first arc-shaped hub portion and the second arc-shaped hub portion may refer to the parts that the driver rotates by holding the steering wheel with his hands, and the driver can easily control the vehicle through the first arc-shaped hub portion and the second arc-shaped hub portion to realize operations such as turning, steering, and adjusting the driving direction of the vehicle.

[0158] Optionally, the stowable steering wheel further includes a central portion, which is mounted on the steering column of the vehicle, all or part of the first connection portion and the second connection portion may be located in the central portion, and the first shaft and the second shaft may be located in the central portion; function buttons may be arranged on the central portion, such as audio control buttons, cruise control buttons, phone answering buttons, etc. The arrangement of these function buttons may enable the driver to more conveniently operate various functions on the vehicle during driving, thereby improving the convenience and comfort of driving. On the other hand, an airbag cover may be arranged on the central portion, and the airbag in the airbag cover may be quickly inflated and deployed when the vehicle collides, thereby providing protection for the driver and reducing the damage caused by the collision.

[0159] In the embodiment of the present application, since the second rotating shaft of the retractable steering wheel is located above the first rotating shaft, such an arrangement can prevent the first arc-shaped hub portion and the second arc-shaped hub portion from interfering with each other during the retraction process, thereby providing a structural basis for the first arc-shaped hub portion and the second arc-shaped hub portion to rotate in the same direction. In addition, such an arrangement can improve the driver's comfort when the retractable steering wheel is in the retracted state and effectively save space in the vehicle.

[0160] In one possible implementation, when the retractable steering wheel is in a first mode, the first arc-shaped hub portion and the second arc-shaped hub portion are in a first plane; when the retractable steering wheel is in a second mode, the second connection portion is used to drive the second arc-shaped hub portion to rotate along the first direction to the second plane, and the first connection portion is used to drive the first arc-shaped hub portion to rotate along the first direction to the third plane, the angle between the second plane and the first plane is a first preset value, and the angle between the third plane and the first plane is a second preset value.

[0161] Among them, the first mode can be a non-storage mode of the storable steering wheel, and the first mode can correspond to the driving mode of the vehicle, that is, when the vehicle is driving or the driving mode is turned on, the storable steering wheel is in the first mode; the second mode can be a storage mode of the storable steering wheel, and the second mode can correspond to the parking mode of the vehicle, that is, when the vehicle turns on the parking mode, the storable steering wheel is in the second mode.

[0162] Optionally, the first direction may be clockwise or counterclockwise.

[0163] Optionally, the first preset value and the second preset value may be equal (for example, the first preset value equals the second preset value equals 60 degrees), that is, the second plane may be parallel to the third plane.

[0164] Optionally, the stowable steering wheel further comprises an electric drive assembly configured to drive the first arc-shaped hub portion and the second arc-shaped hub portion to move into a body of the vehicle.

[0165] For example, Figure 3 As shown, when the retractable steering wheel is in the second mode, the second connecting portion drives the second arc-shaped hub portion to rotate in a clockwise direction to the second plane, and then the first connecting portion drives the first arc-shaped hub portion to rotate in a clockwise direction to the third plane, and finally, the upper rim, the lower rim and the central part (the central part is optional, that is, the central part may not exist) can be moved into the body of the vehicle under the drive of the electric drive assembly.

[0166] Optionally, during the above-mentioned steering wheel storage process, in order to prevent the first arc-shaped hub portion from injuring the driver during rotation, after the second arc-shaped hub portion rotates to the second plane, the first arc-shaped hub portion and the second arc-shaped hub portion can be retracted close to the vehicle body, and then the first arc-shaped hub portion can be rotated along the first direction to the third plane.

[0167] In an embodiment of the present application, during the storage process of the retractable steering wheel, the second arc-shaped hub portion and the first arc-shaped hub portion can be rotated in the same direction to the second plane and the third plane, respectively. In this way, the convenience of the retractable steering wheel during the storage process can be achieved, and the comfort of the driver during the storage process of the retractable steering wheel can be improved.

[0168] Combine the following Figure 4 and Figure 5 The shapes of the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion are described in detail.

[0169] In one possible implementation, Figure 4As shown, the first connecting part includes: a first connecting shaft and a second connecting shaft, the first connecting shaft and the second connecting shaft are on the same straight line, and the first connecting shaft and the second connecting shaft are used to realize the first rotating shaft; the second connecting part includes: a third connecting shaft, a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, a third connecting rod and a fourth connecting rod, the third connecting shaft is used to realize the second rotating shaft, wherein the first end of the third connecting shaft is connected to the first end of the second connecting rod through the first connecting rod, the second end of the third connecting shaft is connected to the first end of the fourth connecting rod through the third connecting rod, the second connecting rod and the fourth connecting rod are on the same straight line and are parallel to the third connecting shaft, and the second end of the second connecting rod and the second end of the fourth connecting rod are respectively connected to the two ends of the second arc-shaped hub portion.

[0170] In the embodiment of the present application, the first connecting part can realize the first rotating axis through the first connecting shaft and the second connecting shaft, and the second connecting part can realize the second rotating axis through the third connecting shaft. Such an arrangement can ensure that the first arc-shaped hub part and the second arc-shaped hub part do not interfere with each other during the storage process, and through the arrangement of the first connecting rod to the fourth connecting rod, the structure of the lower wheel rim can be strengthened, which is conducive to ensuring that the second arc-shaped hub part can be better stored.

[0171] The first connection portion and the second connection portion may be configured as the connection shaft or as gears.

[0172] In a possible implementation, the first connecting portion is a first gear, which is used to implement the first rotating shaft, and the second connecting portion is a second gear, which is used to implement the second rotating shaft.

[0173] For example, Figure 5 As shown in (a) in FIG. 1 , the first gear may be connected to the first end of the first arc-shaped hub portion, and the second gear may be connected to the first end of the second arc-shaped hub portion, or, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown in (b), both ends of the first arc-shaped hub portion can be connected to a first gear, and both ends of the second arc-shaped hub portion can be connected to a second gear.

[0174] Optionally, the first gear and the second gear may also be connected to a clutch, a gear box and a motor, so as to realize the rotation and stopping of the first gear and the second gear.

[0175] In the embodiment of the present application, the first connecting part can be set as the first gear, and the second connecting part can be set as the second gear. Such a processing method can simplify the structure of the first connecting part and the second connecting part, which is conducive to ensuring that the first arc-shaped hub part and the second arc-shaped hub part rotate in the same direction.

[0176] In one embodiment, a storable steering wheel is provided, which can be used in a vehicle, and the storable steering wheel includes: an upper rim, the upper rim includes a third arc-shaped hub portion and a third connecting portion, the third arc-shaped hub portion is connected to the third connecting portion, the third arc-shaped hub portion has a third rotating shaft, and the third arc-shaped hub portion can rotate along the third rotating shaft; a lower rim, the lower rim includes a fourth arc-shaped hub portion and a fourth connecting portion, the fourth arc-shaped hub portion is connected to the fourth connecting portion, the fourth arc-shaped hub portion has a fourth rotating shaft, and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion can rotate along the fourth rotating shaft; when the storable steering wheel is in the fourth mode, the diameters of the third arc-shaped hub portion and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion are different.

[0177] Among them, the fourth mode may be a storage mode of the storable steering wheel, and the fourth mode may correspond to the parking mode of the vehicle, that is, after the vehicle turns on the parking mode, the storable steering wheel is in the fourth mode.

[0178] Optionally, the third connection part and the fourth connection part may be in the form of gears, or connecting shafts.

[0179] Optionally, the stowable steering wheel further comprises a central portion mounted on a steering column of the vehicle, and the third connection portion and the fourth connection portion may be located within the central portion.

[0180] Specifically, Figure 6 As shown, the foldable steering wheel may include: an upper rim and a lower rim, the upper rim includes a third arc-shaped hub portion and a third connecting portion, and the two ends of the third arc-shaped hub portion are connected to the two ends of the third connecting portion; the lower rim includes a fourth arc-shaped hub portion and a fourth connecting portion, and the two ends of the fourth arc-shaped hub portion are connected to the two ends of the fourth connecting portion, wherein the third arc-shaped hub portion and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion may refer to the portion that the driver holds the steering wheel with his hand to rotate, and the driver can easily control the vehicle through the third arc-shaped hub portion and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion to achieve operations such as turning, steering, and adjusting the driving direction of the vehicle. Optionally, the foldable steering wheel also includes a central portion, which is mounted on the steering column of the vehicle, and part or all of the third connecting portion and the fourth connecting portion can be located in the central portion; function buttons can be arranged on the central portion, for example, audio control buttons, cruise control buttons, phone answering buttons, etc. The arrangement of these function buttons can make it easier for the driver to operate various functions on the vehicle during driving, thereby improving the convenience and comfort of driving. On the other hand, an airbag cover may be provided on the central portion, and the airbag in the airbag cover may be rapidly inflated and deployed when a vehicle collision occurs, thereby providing protection for the driver and reducing damage caused by the collision.

[0181] In an embodiment of the present application, when the retractable steering wheel is in the retracted state, the diameters of the third arc-shaped hub portion and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion are different. Such a configuration can facilitate better storage of the third arc-shaped hub portion and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion, thereby effectively saving space in the vehicle, and is also beneficial to improving the driver's comfort when the retractable steering wheel is in the retracted state.

[0182] In a possible implementation, the third rotation axis and the fourth rotation axis are on the same straight line.

[0183] For example, Figure 7 As shown, the third connecting part includes: a fourth connecting shaft and a fifth connecting shaft, the fourth connecting shaft and the fifth connecting shaft are on the same straight line, and the fourth connecting shaft and the fifth connecting shaft are used to realize the third rotating shaft. The fourth connecting part includes: a sixth connecting shaft, a fifth connecting rod, a sixth connecting rod, a seventh connecting rod and an eighth connecting rod, and the sixth connecting shaft is used to realize the fourth rotating shaft, wherein the first end of the sixth connecting shaft is connected to the first end of the sixth connecting rod through the fifth connecting rod, the second end of the sixth connecting shaft is connected to the first end of the eighth connecting rod through the seventh connecting rod, the sixth connecting rod and the eighth connecting rod are on the same straight line and are parallel to the sixth connecting shaft, and the second end of the sixth connecting rod and the second end of the eighth connecting rod are respectively connected to the two ends of the fourth arc-shaped hub portion.

[0184] In the embodiment of the present application, the first rotating shaft can be realized by the fourth connecting shaft and the fifth connecting shaft, and the second rotating shaft can be realized by the sixth connecting shaft, and when the retractable steering wheel is in the fourth mode, the diameters of the third arc-shaped hub portion and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion are different. Such an arrangement can ensure that the third arc-shaped hub portion and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion do not interfere with each other during the retraction process, and through the arrangement of the fifth connecting rod to the eighth connecting rod, the structure of the lower wheel rim can be strengthened, which is conducive to ensuring that the fourth arc-shaped hub portion can be better retracted.

[0185] In one possible implementation, Figure 8 As shown in (a) of FIG. 1 , the sixth connecting shaft includes: a first connecting section and a second connecting section; when the stowable steering wheel is in the third mode, the first connecting section and the second connecting section are separated, so that the length of the fourth connecting portion parallel to the sixth connecting shaft is the first length; Figure 8 As shown in (b), when the retractable steering wheel is in the fourth mode, the first connecting segment and the second connecting segment are connected, so that the length of the fourth connecting portion parallel to the sixth connecting axis is the second length, and the second length is smaller than the first length.

[0186] Among them, the third mode can be a non-storage mode of the storable steering wheel, and the third mode can correspond to the driving mode of the vehicle, that is, when the vehicle is driving or the driving mode is turned on, the storable steering wheel is in the third mode.

[0187] In one possible implementation, Fig. 9 As shown, a first telescopic portion is provided on the fourth arc-shaped hub portion; when the retractable steering wheel is in the third mode, the first telescopic portion is in an extended state, so that the diameter of the fourth arc-shaped hub portion is the third length; when the retractable steering wheel is in the fourth mode, the first telescopic portion is in a compressed state, so that the diameter of the fourth arc-shaped hub portion is the fourth length, and the fourth length is smaller than the third length.

[0188] Optionally, the difference between the first length and the second length is equal to the difference between the third length and the fourth length.

[0189] Alternatively, the first telescopic portion may not be provided, and a second telescopic portion may be provided on the third arc-shaped hub portion; when the retractable steering wheel is in the third mode, the second telescopic portion is in a compressed state, and the diameter of the third arc-shaped hub portion is a fifth length; when the retractable steering wheel is in the fourth mode, the second telescopic portion is in an extended state, and the diameter of the third arc-shaped hub portion is a sixth length, which is greater than the fifth length. Such a setting may also enable the third arc-shaped hub portion and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion of the retractable steering wheel in the retracted state to be in the same plane.

[0190] Alternatively, the first telescopic portion may not be provided, and the diameter of the third arc-shaped hub portion may be set to the seventh length, and the diameter of the fourth arc-shaped hub portion may be set to the eighth length, wherein the eighth length is smaller than the seventh length. In this way, it can be ensured that the upper rim can always accommodate the lower rim.

[0191] In an embodiment of the present application, when the retractable steering wheel is in the fourth mode, the first connecting section and the second connecting section can be connected, and / or the first telescopic portion can be in a compressed state, thereby reducing the diameter of the fourth arc-shaped hub portion to reduce the lower wheel rim. In this way, it can be ensured that when the retractable steering wheel is in the retracted state, the third arc-shaped hub portion and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion are in the same plane, thereby effectively saving space in the vehicle.

[0192] In one possible implementation, when the retractable steering wheel is in the third mode, the third arc-shaped hub portion and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion are in a fourth plane; when the retractable steering wheel is in the fourth mode, the fourth connecting portion is used to drive the fourth arc-shaped hub portion to rotate along the first direction to the fifth plane, and the third connecting portion is used to drive the third arc-shaped hub portion to rotate along the first direction to the fifth plane, and the angle between the fifth plane and the first plane is a third preset value.

[0193] Optionally, the first direction may be clockwise or counterclockwise.

[0194] Optionally, the stowable steering wheel further comprises an electric drive assembly configured to drive the third arc-shaped hub portion and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion to move into a body of the vehicle.

[0195] For example, Fig.10 As shown, when the retractable steering wheel is in the fourth mode, the diameter of the fourth arc-shaped hub portion can be shortened by the first connecting section, the second connecting section and the first telescopic portion, and then the fourth connecting section drives the fourth arc-shaped hub portion to rotate in a clockwise direction to the fifth plane, and the third connecting section drives the third arc-shaped hub portion to rotate in a clockwise direction to the fifth plane, so that the upper wheel rim and the lower wheel rim overlap, and finally, the upper wheel rim, the lower wheel rim and the central part (the central part is optional, that is, the central part may not exist) can be moved into the body of the vehicle under the drive of the electric drive assembly.

[0196] Optionally, during the above-mentioned steering wheel storage process, in order to prevent the third arc-shaped hub portion from injuring the driver during rotation, after the fourth arc-shaped hub portion rotates to the fifth plane, the third arc-shaped hub portion, the fourth arc-shaped hub portion and the central portion can be retracted close to the vehicle body, and then the third arc-shaped hub portion can be rotated along the first direction to the fifth plane.

[0197] Alternatively, during the above-mentioned storage process, the upper wheel rim and the lower wheel rim may not overlap, that is, when the retractable steering wheel is in the fourth mode, the diameter of the fourth arc-shaped hub portion may be shortened by the first connecting section, the second connecting section and the first telescopic portion, and then the fourth connecting section drives the fourth arc-shaped hub portion to rotate along the sixth plane in a clockwise direction, and the third connecting section drives the third arc-shaped hub portion to rotate along the clockwise direction to the seventh plane, and finally, the upper wheel rim, the lower wheel rim and the central part (the central part is optional, that is, the central part may not exist) may be moved into the body of the vehicle under the drive of the electric drive assembly. Among them, the angle between the sixth plane and the fourth plane is the fourth preset value, and the angle between the seventh plane and the fourth plane is the fifth preset value, and the fourth preset value is different from the fifth preset value.

[0198] In an embodiment of the present application, during the storage process of the retractable steering wheel, the third arc-shaped hub portion and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion can be rotated in the same direction to the fifth plane, respectively. In this way, the convenience of the storage process of the retractable steering wheel can be achieved, thereby further improving the driver's comfort when the retractable steering wheel is in the stored state.

[0199] The third connection portion and the fourth connection portion may be configured in the form of gears in addition to being configured in the form of the connection shafts described above.

[0200] In a possible implementation, the third connecting portion is a third gear, and the third gear is used to implement the third rotating shaft. The fourth connecting portion is a fourth gear, and the fourth gear is used to implement the fourth rotating shaft.

[0201] Optionally, the third gear can be connected to the first end of the third arc-shaped hub portion, and the fourth gear can be connected to the first end of the fourth arc-shaped hub portion, or both ends of the third arc-shaped hub portion can be connected to a third gear, and both ends of the fourth arc-shaped hub portion can be connected to a fourth gear.

[0202] Optionally, the third gear and the fourth gear may also be connected to a clutch, a gear box and a motor to achieve rotation and stopping of the third gear and the fourth gear.

[0203] In the embodiment of the present application, the third connecting part can be set as the third gear, and the fourth connecting part can be set as the fourth gear. Such a processing method can simplify the structure of the third connecting part and the fourth connecting part, which is conducive to ensuring that the third arc-shaped hub part and the fourth arc-shaped hub part rotate in the same direction.

[0204] Combination of the above Figures 2 to 11 Two types of retractable steering wheels are exemplarily described. The present application also provides a steering wheel 10, which can be used for Figure 1 In the vehicle shown, Figures 2 to 10 The steering wheel shown may be understood as an extension or a variant of the steering wheel 10 .

[0205] For example, the steering wheel 10 may include an upper hub portion 100, a lower hub portion 200, and a central portion 300; the steering wheel 10 may have a driving mode and a storage mode. In the driving mode, the upper hub portion 100 and the lower hub portion 200 may be combined to form an annular structure, and the upper hub portion 100 and the lower hub portion 200 may be located at the upper side and the lower side of the annular structure, respectively; the annular structure may be held by a user, and the annular structure may surround the central portion. In the storage mode, the upper hub portion and the lower hub portion may be stored at the lower rear of the central portion.

[0206] In one embodiment, Figure 2 and Figure 3 As an example, the retractable steering wheel shown in the figure is combined with Fig.11 For illustrative purposes only.

[0207] exist Fig.11 In the embodiment, the first arc-shaped hub portion may correspond to the upper hub portion 100 of the steering wheel 10, and the second arc-shaped hub portion may correspond to the lower hub portion 200; the first mode may correspond to the driving mode, and the second mode may correspond to the storage mode. Fig.11 (a) in can be understood as Figure 2 On the basis of the above, it is emphasized that when the steering wheel is in the first mode, the shape of the annular structure surrounded by the first arc-shaped hub portion and the second arc-shaped hub portion; Fig.11 (b) in can be understood as Figure 3 On the basis of FIG. 1 , the positional relationship among the first arc-shaped hub portion, the second arc-shaped hub portion and the central portion when the steering wheel is in the second mode is emphasized.

[0208] like Fig.11 As shown in (a) of FIG. 1 , in the first mode, the first arc-shaped hub portion and the second arc-shaped hub portion of the stowable steering wheel can be combined to form an annular structure surrounding the central portion. Fig.11 As shown in (b) , when the steering wheel is in the second mode, the first arc-shaped hub portion and the second arc-shaped hub portion can be completely stored at the lower rear of the central portion.

[0209] In another embodiment, Figure 6 and Fig.10 As an example, the retractable steering wheel shown in the figure is combined with Fig.12 For illustrative purposes only.

[0210] exist Fig.12 In the embodiment, the third arc-shaped hub portion may correspond to the upper hub portion 100 of the steering wheel 10, and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion may correspond to the lower hub portion 200; the third mode may correspond to the driving mode, and the fourth mode may correspond to the storage mode. Fig.12 (a) in can be understood as Figure 6 On the basis of the above, it is emphasized that when the steering wheel is in the third mode, the shape of the annular structure surrounded by the third arc-shaped hub portion and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion; Fig.12 (b) in can be understood as Fig.10 On the basis of this, the positional relationship among the third arc-shaped hub portion, the fourth arc-shaped hub portion and the central portion when the steering wheel is in the fourth mode is emphasized.

[0211] like Fig.12 As shown in (a) of FIG. 1 , in the third mode, the third arc-shaped hub portion and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion of the stowable steering wheel can be combined to form an annular structure surrounding the central portion. Fig.12 As shown in (b) , when the steering wheel is in the fourth mode, the third arc-shaped hub portion and the fourth arc-shaped hub portion can be completely stored at the lower rear of the central portion.

[0212] For the steering wheel 10, the annular structure formed by the upper hub portion 100 and the lower hub portion 200 may have a specific shape determined by the shapes of the upper hub portion 100 and the lower hub portion 200 in the steering wheel 10. The annular structure may be circular, or may be other regular or irregular annular shapes. Fig.13 For illustrative purposes only.

[0213] For example, Fig.13 It is a schematic diagram of several ring structures provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0214] In one embodiment, the upper hub portion 100 and the lower hub portion 200 are two independent components. Assuming that the specific shapes of the two are as follows: Fig.13 As shown in (a) of the figure; the skeletons of the upper hub portion 100 and the lower hub portion 200 may be arc-shaped, and the two arcs may have the same diameter. In this case, the annular structure formed by the upper hub portion 100 and the lower hub portion 200 may have a shape as shown in Fig.13 As shown in (b) in .

[0215] In another embodiment, assuming that the specific shape of the upper hub portion 100 is still the same Fig.13 As shown in (a) of FIG. 1 , the frame of the lower hub portion 200 may be irregularly shaped. For example, the middle portion of the frame of the lower hub portion 200 may be replaced by a line segment instead of an arc. In this case, the annular structure formed by the upper hub portion 100 and the lower hub portion 200 may be shaped as follows: Fig.13 As shown in (c) in .

[0216] In another embodiment, if the middle portion of the frame of the upper hub 100 is also replaced by a line segment instead of an arc, the shape of the annular structure formed by the upper hub portion 100 and the lower hub portion 200 can be as follows: Fig.13 As shown in (d) in .

[0217] In yet another embodiment, Figure 2 The annular structure formed by the first arc-shaped hub portion and the second arc-shaped hub portion may have a shape as follows: Fig.13 As shown in (b) in . Similarly, Figure 6 The annular structure formed by the third hub portion and the fourth hub portion can be shaped as follows: Fig.13 As shown in (b) in .

[0218] For example, the central part 300 can be connected to the steering column. In the driving mode, the user can hold the annular structure formed by the upper wheel hub 100 and the lower wheel hub 200; when the user manipulates the annular structure to rotate, the central part 300 will drive the steering column to rotate, thereby realizing the user's manipulation of the vehicle steering; in this way, the basic use requirements of the steering wheel can be realized.

[0219] For example, Fig.14 It is a schematic diagram of the steering wheel 10 provided in an embodiment of the present application in different modes.

[0220] exist Fig.14 In the embodiment, it is assumed that the upper hub portion 100 and the lower hub portion 200 adopt Fig.13 The shape shown in (a) in FIG. Fig.14 (a) in the figure can be understood as a front view of the steering wheel 10 in the driving mode; Fig.14 (b) in the figure can be understood as a front view of the steering wheel 10 in the storage mode.

[0221] The "front view" of the steering wheel can be understood as the view observed by the user when the steering wheel is in a neutral position and the user holds the steering wheel with both hands in a standing position. Accordingly, based on this observation method, the directions represented by the "left / right / front / back / up / down" of the steering wheel are explained. "Left" can represent the direction represented by the side of the user's left hand; "right" can represent the direction represented by the side of the user's right hand; "front" or "front" can represent the side facing the user; "back" or "back" can represent the side away from the user; "up" can represent the direction where the user's head is located; "down" can represent the direction where the user's feet are located.

[0222] Reference Fig.14 In (a), in the driving mode, the user can manipulate the steering wheel 10 to rotate along the axis 11; accordingly, the steering wheel 10 can drive the steering column disposed behind it to rotate. The steering column can be disposed along the axis 11, and Fig.14 Not shown in FIG.

[0223] Reference Fig.14 In (b), in the storage mode, the upper and lower hub parts can be stored at the lower rear of the central part.

[0224] In actual scenarios, the steering column is usually tilted, and in the height direction of the vehicle, the dashboard of the vehicle can be set above the steering column, and the lower part of the dashboard can provide sufficient legroom for the user. If other methods are used to store the steering wheel, such as storing the steering wheel in the dashboard, not only does it need to arrange the steering column in the dashboard (for example, the steering column may need to extend horizontally from the dashboard), but it is also necessary to reserve storage space for the steering wheel in the dashboard; since the instrument screen, air-conditioning vents, etc. usually occupy a large space on the dashboard, it is often difficult to successfully arrange the storage space for the steering wheel in the dashboard. Even if the storage space can be successfully arranged by reducing the size of the steering wheel, on the one hand, the steering wheel size is too small, which will make the user's operating experience too poor, and on the other hand, the design and structure of the steering column and other related components in the steering system will require large-scale adjustments, resulting in this method being difficult to have good universality for different models, thereby making the cost high.

[0225] In the embodiment of the present application, in the storage mode, the upper hub portion 100 and the lower hub portion 200 can be stored at the lower rear of the central portion 300, and the existing leg space in the vehicle can be fully utilized to store the steering wheel. In particular, when the steering column has a telescopic function, after the steering column is shortened, the interference between the stored steering wheel and the instrument panel can be effectively avoided. Compared with the solution of storing the steering wheel in the instrument panel, there is no need to make large-scale adjustments to the steering column and other related components in the steering system, and it has high versatility for different models, so that the steering wheel can be stored at a lower cost and system complexity. Moreover, since the upper hub portion and the lower hub portion are independent components, when the annular structure has a large radial dimension, this storage method can also ensure a better storage effect.

[0226] In some possible implementations, the steering wheel 10 may further include a fifth connection portion 400 and a sixth connection portion 500. The upper hub 100 may be connected to the central portion 300 via the fifth connection portion 400, the fifth connection portion 400 may include a rotation shaft disposed along a first axis 401, and the upper hub 100 may rotate relative to the central portion 300 along the first axis 401. The lower hub 200 may be connected to the central portion 300 via the sixth connection portion 500, the sixth connection portion 500 may include a rotation shaft disposed along a second axis 501, and the lower hub 200 may rotate relative to the central portion 300 along the second axis 501.

[0227] In one example, refer to Figure 2 The stowable steering wheel shown in the figure has a first connection portion corresponding to the fifth connection portion 400; and a second connection portion corresponding to the sixth connection portion 500. For example, the first connection portion and the second connection portion are configured as follows: Figure 4 In the structure shown in FIG. 1 , the axes of the first connecting shaft and the second connecting shaft may correspond to the first axis 401, and the axis of the third connecting shaft may correspond to the second axis 501. For another example, the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion may adopt the following Figure 5 In the structure shown, the axis of the first gear may correspond to the first axis 401, and the axis of the second gear may correspond to the second axis 501. In this example, the second axis 501 may be parallel to the first axis 401, and the second axis 501 may be located above the first axis 401.

[0228] In another example, refer to Figure 6 The foldable steering wheel shown in the figure, the third connection portion in the foldable steering wheel can correspond to the fifth connection portion 400; the fourth connection portion in the steering wheel can correspond to the sixth connection portion 500. For example, the third connection portion and the fourth connection portion adopt the following Figure 7In the structure shown, the axes of the fourth connecting shaft and the fifth connecting shaft may correspond to the first axis 401, and the axis of the sixth connecting shaft may correspond to the second axis 501. For another example, when the fourth connecting shaft, the fifth connecting shaft and the sixth connecting shaft are arranged along the same axis, the axis may correspond to the first axis 401 or the second axis 501.

[0229] In another example, for aesthetic considerations, the fifth connection portion 400 and / or the sixth connection portion 500 may be disposed on the back of the central portion 300 so as to be shielded by the central portion; or, part or all of the fifth connection portion 400 and / or the sixth connection portion 500 may be disposed in the central portion 300. In this case, the fifth connection portion 400 and the sixth connection portion 500 may not be observed in the front view of the steering wheel 10. Fig.14 shown.

[0230] In some possible implementations, when the steering wheel 10 is in the driving mode, the upper hub portion 100 and the lower hub portion 200 may be in the eighth plane; when the steering wheel 10 is in the storage mode, the fifth connection portion 400 may be used to drive the upper hub portion 100 to rotate along the first direction to the ninth plane, and the sixth connection portion 500 may be used to drive the lower hub portion 200 to rotate along the first direction to the tenth plane.

[0231] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 3 The stowable steering wheel shown in the figure, when the steering wheel is switched from the first mode to the second mode, the second connection part can drive the second arc-shaped hub part to rotate clockwise to the second plane, and the first connection part can drive the first arc-shaped hub part to rotate clockwise to the third plane. In this example, the second plane can correspond to the tenth plane mentioned above, and the third plane can correspond to the ninth plane mentioned above. Figure 3 The clockwise direction in may correspond to the first direction. Accordingly, the angle between the eighth plane and the ninth plane may be a first preset value; and the angle between the eighth plane and the tenth plane may be a second preset value.

[0232] In another embodiment, referring to Fig.10 In the stowable steering wheel shown, when the steering wheel is in the fourth mode, the fourth connection portion can drive the fourth arc-shaped hub portion to rotate clockwise to the fifth plane, and the third connection portion can drive the third arc-shaped hub portion to rotate clockwise to the fifth plane. In this example, the fifth plane can correspond to both the ninth plane and the tenth plane.

[0233] In another embodiment, Fig.14 Take the steering wheel shown as an example, combined with Fig.15 , the eighth plane, the ninth plane and the tenth plane mentioned above are exemplified.

[0234] For example, Fig.15 This is another schematic diagram of the steering wheel 10 provided in the embodiment of the present application in different modes.

[0235] exist Fig.15 In the embodiment, it is assumed that the shapes of the upper hub portion 100, the lower hub portion 200 and the central portion 300 are similar to Fig.14 and it is also assumed that the second axis 501 is parallel to the first axis 401 and the second axis 501 is above the first axis 401. That is, Fig.15 In the embodiment, the storage method of the steering wheel 10 can be the same as Figure 2 The steering wheel shown is stowed in the same manner. Fig.15 (a) in the figure can be understood as a side view of the steering wheel 10 in the driving mode; Fig.15 (b) in the figure can be understood as a side view of the steering wheel 10 in the storage mode.

[0236] Reference Fig.15 In (a), in the driving mode, the upper hub portion 100 may be in plane 101 , and the lower hub portion 200 may be in plane 201 .

[0237] In one example, plane 101 may be parallel to plane 201 .

[0238] In another example, plane 101 may be inclined relative to plane 201; accordingly, the angle between planes 101 and 201 may be smaller than a certain angle threshold, such as 5 degrees, to avoid excessive bending of the annular structure at the transition portion between the upper and lower hubs.

[0239] In another example, the plane 101 and the plane 201 may be the same plane. In this case, the plane 101 and the plane 201 may correspond to the eighth plane mentioned above.

[0240] In the embodiment of the present application, for the annular structure formed by the upper hub portion 100 and the lower hub portion 200, when the plane 101 and the plane 201 are the same plane, the annular structure may not have a step surface or an angle at the transition portion between the upper and lower hub portions. Accordingly, even if the driver holds the annular structure at the transition portion, there will be no discomfort due to the step surface or the angle, thereby improving the driver's holding experience.

[0241] When switching to the storage mode, the upper hub portion 100 can rotate clockwise from the plane 101 to the plane 102 along the first axis 401; the lower hub portion 200 can rotate clockwise from the plane 101 to the plane 202 along the second axis 501. Accordingly, in the storage mode, the upper hub portion 100 can be in the plane 102, and the lower hub portion 200 can be in the plane 202, as shown in FIG. Fig.15As shown in (b) in FIG. 1 , plane 102 may correspond to the ninth plane mentioned above, and plane 202 may correspond to the tenth plane mentioned above.

[0242] In one example, there may be an angle between the planes 102 and 202 .

[0243] When there is an angle between planes 102 and 202, when the steering wheel is in storage mode, if the steering wheel adopts a conventional shape, there may be an angle / warping between the upper and lower wheel hub parts, which will require a larger accommodation space to accommodate the upper and lower wheel hub parts; if the steering wheel adopts a special shape or needs to be adapted to other surrounding parts (such as part of the styling panel of the dashboard), it will be able to provide a better appearance effect.

[0244] In yet another example, the planes 102 and 202 may be parallel.

[0245] In actual design, the layout space around the instrument panel is often relatively cramped. In the embodiment of the present application, in the storage mode, the upper and lower wheel hubs are stored in two mutually parallel planes, which is conducive to reducing the storage space required for the steering wheel and facilitating the successful layout of the steering wheel with storage function on the vehicle.

[0246] Exemplarily, the central portion 300 may include an intermediate support member 320. For example, referring to Fig.15 In (b), the central portion 300 may include a shielding structure 310 and an intermediate support member 320. The shielding structure 310 may be disposed on the front side of the steering wheel, and the intermediate support member 320 may be disposed on the back side of the steering wheel.

[0247] In a possible design, the shielding structure 310 and the intermediate support member 320 may be different parts. For example, the two parts may be combined to form a cavity, and part or all of the fifth connection portion 400 and / or the sixth connection portion 500 may be disposed in the cavity. For another example, an airbag may be disposed in the cavity; when the airbag is triggered, the shielding structure 310 may be ejected by the airbag. For another example, the intermediate support member 320 may fix and support various parts disposed on the steering wheel, such as the airbag and function buttons.

[0248] In some possible implementations, the rotating shaft included in the fifth connecting portion 400 and arranged along the first axis 401 may include a seventh connecting shaft and an eighth connecting shaft, and the seventh connecting shaft and the eighth connecting shaft may be arranged on two opposite sides of the central portion 300 .

[0249] The following Figure 4 and Figure 7 The stowable steering wheel shown is used as an example for illustration. It can be understood that Figure 4 and Figure 7 The center part of the steering wheel is not shown.

[0250] Reference Figure 4 , one end of the first connecting shaft can be connected to the left side of the first arc-shaped hub portion, and one end of the second connecting shaft can be connected to the right side of the first arc-shaped hub portion. Correspondingly, the other end of the first connecting shaft can be connected to the central portion, and the other end of the second connecting shaft can be connected to the intermediate support member. In this example, since the first connecting shaft and the second connecting shaft can constitute the first rotating shaft; accordingly, one of the two can correspond to the seventh connecting shaft, and the other can correspond to the eighth connecting shaft.

[0251] Reference Figure 7 The fourth connecting shaft and the fifth connecting shaft are connected to the third arc-shaped hub portion and can constitute a third rotating shaft; accordingly, one of the two connecting shafts can correspond to the above-mentioned seventh connecting shaft, and the other one of the two can correspond to the above-mentioned eighth connecting shaft.

[0252] Similarly, the rotating shafts included in the sixth connecting portion 500 and arranged along the second axis 501 may include a ninth connecting shaft and a tenth connecting shaft. The ninth connecting shaft and the tenth connecting shaft may be arranged on two opposite sides of the central portion.

[0253] In the embodiment of the present application, the seventh connecting shaft and the eighth connecting shaft arranged along the first axis 401 are respectively arranged on both sides of the middle support member, so that the two connecting shafts can be arranged in a symmetrical manner, which is conducive to balancing the weight on the left and right sides of the steering wheel, so that the steering wheel can be kept in a neutral position when not turned by the user, thereby avoiding unexpected steering / yaw of the vehicle. Moreover, the seventh connecting shaft and the eighth connecting shaft are arranged on both sides of the central part, which is also conducive to reducing the space occupied by these connecting shafts in the central part.

[0254] The following Fig.15 Take the steering wheel shown as an example, combined with Fig.16 , the seventh to tenth connecting axes mentioned above are exemplified.

[0255] For example, Fig.16 Schematic diagram of the connection relationship between the upper and lower hub parts and the central part 300 provided in the embodiment of the present application. Fig.16 In the embodiment, it is assumed that the shapes of the upper hub portion 100, the lower hub portion 200 and the central portion 300, and the relative positional relationship between the first axis 401 and the second axis 501 are all the same as Fig.15 The same. In addition, Fig.16 In the figure, the shielding structure 310 in the central portion 300 is not shown.

[0256] Reference Fig.16In (a), the connecting shafts 410 and 420 can be arranged along the axis 401. The connecting shaft 410 can be arranged on the left side of the intermediate support 320; one end of the connecting shaft 410 can be hinged to the intermediate support 320, and the other end of the connecting shaft 410 can be connected to the upper hub portion 100, and the connection position can be near the left inner wall of the upper hub portion 100. The connecting shaft 420 can be arranged on the right side of the intermediate support 320; one end of the connecting shaft 420 can be hinged to the intermediate support 320, and the other end of the connecting shaft 420 can be connected to the upper hub portion 100, and the connection position can be near the right inner wall of the upper hub portion 100.

[0257] Similarly, connecting shafts 510 and 520 may be arranged along axis 501. Connecting shaft 510 may be arranged on the left side of intermediate support 320; one end of connecting shaft 510 may be hinged to intermediate support 320, and the other end of connecting shaft 510 may be connected to lower hub portion 200, and the connection position may be near the left inner wall of lower hub portion 200. Connecting shaft 520 may be arranged on the right side of intermediate support 320; one end of connecting shaft 520 may be hinged to intermediate support 320, and the other end of connecting shaft 520 may be connected to lower hub portion 200, and the connection position may be near the right inner wall of lower hub portion 200.

[0258] In one example, assuming that the seventh connecting shaft and the ninth connecting shaft are on the same side of the steering wheel, for example, the connecting shaft 410 may correspond to the seventh connecting shaft, and the connecting shaft 510 may correspond to the ninth connecting shaft; accordingly, the connecting shaft 420 may correspond to the eighth connecting shaft, and the connecting shaft 520 may correspond to the tenth connecting shaft.

[0259] For example, in Fig.16 The cross-sectional view at position AA in (a) can be shown as Fig.16 As shown in (b) in .

[0260] Reference Fig.16 In (b), when switching to the storage mode, the upper and lower wheel hubs can be controlled to rotate clockwise around the corresponding axes (401, 501) from the current posture. When switching to the driving mode again, the upper and lower wheel hubs can be controlled to rotate counterclockwise around the corresponding axes to return to the current posture. Fig.16 The posture shown in (b).

[0261] Since the rotation axis 501 corresponding to the lower hub portion 200 is above the axis 401, during the rotation of the upper and lower hub portions around the corresponding axes (401, 501), no interference is generated between the upper and lower hub portions, thereby achieving the following Figure 3 The storage effect shown.

[0262] In a specific implementation, the axis 501 may be disposed directly above the axis 401, or the axis 501 may be disposed above and behind the axis 401. Fig.16 As an example, the steering wheel shown in the figure is combined with Fig.17 , the positional relationship between the axes 401 and 501 is exemplified. Fig.17 In the embodiment, the connecting shafts 410, 420, 510 and 520 may be respectively corresponded to the seventh connecting shaft, the eighth connecting shaft, the ninth connecting shaft and the tenth connecting shaft.

[0263] For example, Fig.17 It is a schematic diagram of the relative position relationship between the axes 401 and 501 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0264] in, Fig.17 (a) in the figure adopts the Fig.16 In order to more clearly reflect the positional relationship between the upper and lower hub portions and the connecting shafts 420 and 520, Fig.17 In (a), the intermediate support member 320 is not shown. Moreover, since the connecting shafts 420 and 520 are arranged along the axes 401 and 501 respectively, Fig.17 In (b) to (e), the positions of the connecting shafts 420 and 520 respectively indicate the arrangement positions of the axes 401 and 501.

[0265] Reference Fig.17 In (a), since the connecting shaft 520 is arranged above the connecting shaft 420, in order to connect with the connecting shaft 520, the lower hub part 100 can be provided with an avoidance structure near the connecting shaft 420, which can prevent the lower hub part 200 and the connecting shaft 420 from interfering with each other when the steering wheel is in driving mode.

[0266] Reference Fig.17 In (b), when the connecting shaft 520 is arranged directly above the connecting shaft 420, the lower hub portion 200 may be provided with a larger avoidance structure; accordingly, in the thickness direction of the steering wheel (i.e., the front-to-rear direction of the steering wheel), the upper and lower hub portions may have a larger warping near the connecting shaft 420.

[0267] Reference Fig.17 In (c), the connecting shaft 520 can be arranged at the upper rear of the connecting shaft 420. Since the steering wheel has a certain thickness, the warping can be eliminated by adjusting the thickness of the lower hub part 200 at the avoidance structure. For example, when the connecting shafts 520 and 420 are arranged in this way, the shapes of the upper and lower hub parts can be as follows: Fig.17 As shown in (a) in .

[0268] Reference Fig.17In (d), when the relative distance between the connecting shafts 420 and 520 in the direction of the thickness of the steering wheel is too large, the steering wheel may need to be thicker if the shielding structure is to be completely hidden on the side. For styling considerations, the structure of the lower hub portion 200 can be configured such that a bracket extending toward the rear of the steering wheel is added on the basis of the lower half of the annular structure; the bracket can extend from the annular structure to the connecting shaft 520.

[0269] In some design methods, refer to Fig.17 In (e), the connecting shaft 520 may also be disposed directly behind the connecting shaft 420.

[0270] When the relative distance between the connecting shafts 420 and 520 in the direction of the steering wheel thickness is too large, if the lower hub includes a bracket extending from the annular structure to the connecting shaft 520, in the driving mode, the lower hub portion may appear to be in a cantilever beam state, resulting in poor strength.

[0271] In some embodiments, the distance between the connecting shafts 420 and 520 in the direction of the thickness of the steering wheel may be less than or equal to a certain threshold value to ensure the strength of the lower hub portion, such as 4 cm or 5 cm.

[0272] Combination of the above Fig.16 and 17 In the embodiment, the relative positional relationship between the axis 401 and the axis 501 is exemplarily described by taking the axis 401 and the axis 501 being parallel to each other as an example.

[0273] In other embodiments, the axes 401 and 501 may be the same axis. Assume that the seventh connecting axis and the ninth connecting axis are on the same side of the steering wheel, and the eighth connecting axis and the tenth connecting axis are on the other side of the steering wheel. For example, the seventh connecting axis may be provided with a through hole along the axis 401, and the ninth connecting axis may pass through the through hole and be arranged along the axis. Alternatively, the ninth connecting axis may be provided with a through hole, and the seventh connecting axis may pass through the through hole and be arranged.

[0274] In some possible implementations, the steering wheel 10 may further include a first motor 330 and a first transmission assembly 340. The first transmission assembly 340 may be used to drive the seventh connecting shaft to the first motor 330, so that the first motor 330 drives the seventh connecting shaft to rotate around the first axis 401.

[0275] For example, Figure 4 Taking the steering wheel shown as an example, the first connecting shaft can be connected to a motor so that the motor can drive the connecting shaft to rotate, thereby driving the first arc-shaped hub part to rotate around the first axis, thereby rotating the first arc-shaped hub part to a posture corresponding to the target mode.

[0276] In one example, for the ninth connecting shaft, the steering wheel may also be provided with another motor and a corresponding transmission assembly, so that the ninth connecting shaft may be driven to rotate by the motor, thereby driving the lower wheel hub to rotate.

[0277] On the one hand, due to the small space available for arrangement in the steering wheel, it may be difficult to arrange the corresponding multiple motors when the steering wheel is small in size; on the other hand, using different motors to drive the seventh connecting shaft and the ninth connecting shaft respectively will lead to higher costs. In some design methods, the steering wheel can use the same motor to drive the upper hub part and the lower hub part to rotate.

[0278] In some possible implementations, the steering wheel 10 may further include a second transmission assembly 350. The second transmission assembly 350 may be used to drive the ninth connecting shaft to the first connecting shaft motor 330, so that the first motor 330 drives the ninth connecting shaft to rotate along the second axis 501.

[0279] In the embodiment of the present application, the same motor is used to drive the seventh connecting shaft and the ninth connecting shaft to rotate respectively through different transmission components, which can save the layout space in the steering wheel and save costs. In addition, since the seventh connecting shaft is connected to the upper hub part and the ninth connecting shaft is connected to the lower hub part, when the steering wheel is switched between the driving mode and the storage mode, it is conducive to achieving the synchronous rotation of the upper hub part and the lower hub part, which is conducive to reducing the complexity of control and shortening the time used for mode switching.

[0280] In some possible implementations, the reduction ratio of the first transmission assembly 340 may be smaller than the reduction ratio of the second transmission assembly 350 .

[0281] For example, assuming that the angle of rotation of the lower hub along axis 501 when the steering wheel mode is switched is 45 degrees, and assuming that the angle of rotation of the upper hub along axis 401 when the steering wheel mode is switched is 225 degrees; if the reduction ratio of transmission assembly 350 can be 5 times the reduction ratio of transmission assembly 340, when the steering wheel mode is switched, the time required for the upper hub to rotate will be the same as the time required for the lower hub to rotate. If the upper and lower hubs start to rotate at the same time, the two can complete the mode switch at the same time.

[0282] Since the upper and lower hubs are stored at the lower rear of the central part in the storage mode, when the steering wheel switches its posture, the angle required for the upper hub to rotate will be greater than the angle required for the lower hub to rotate. In the embodiment of the present application, by reasonably setting the transmission ratio of the first transmission assembly and the second transmission assembly, the upper and lower hubs can change their postures in the same time period when the steering wheel switches its mode, which helps to save the total time required for mode switching.

[0283] For example, the first transmission assembly 340 and the second transmission assembly 350 can be driven by gear transmission, belt transmission or a combination of transmission. Fig.18 , the first transmission assembly and the second transmission assembly are exemplarily described.

[0284] For example, Fig.18 It is a schematic diagram of a motor arrangement method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0285] Fig.18 The scheme shown can be understood as Fig.16 The motor 330, the transmission components 340 and 350 are added to the scheme shown. In order to facilitate the components of the transmission components 340 and 350, Fig.18 Adopted with Fig.16 A different perspective.

[0286] Reference Fig.18 The motor 330 can be mounted on the intermediate support member 320. For example, the output shaft of the motor 330 can be connected to two pulleys of different diameters (referred to as pulley #1 and pulley #2). When the motor 330 rotates, the two pulleys can be driven to rotate.

[0287] As for pulley #1, the pulley #1 can be connected to pulley 341 through belt 342; pulley 341 can be arranged on connecting shaft 410 and coaxially arranged with connecting shaft 410. In this case, transmission assembly 340 can include pulley #1, pulley 341 and belt 342. Fig.18 Not shown in the figure.

[0288] In one example, the pulley 341 can be connected to the connecting shaft 410 by welding, key connection, bolt connection, etc.

[0289] In another example, the pulley 341 and the connecting shaft 410 can be made by an integral molding process.

[0290] In yet another example, the belts 342 and 352 may be toothed belts.

[0291] Similarly, for pulley #2, the pulley #2 can be connected to pulley 351 through belt 352; pulley 351 can be coaxially arranged with connecting shaft 510 along the axis of connecting shaft 510. In this case, transmission assembly 350 can include pulley #2, pulley 351 and belt 352. For perspective, pulley #2 is Fig.18 Not shown in either.

[0292] Therefore, when the motor 330 rotates, the upper hub part 100 can be driven to rotate around the axis 401 through the transmission path of pulley #1-belt 342-pulley 341-connecting shaft 410; the lower hub part 100 can also be driven to rotate around the axis 501 through the transmission path of pulley #2-belt 352-pulley 351-connecting shaft 510.

[0293] In some possible implementations, the first motor may have a self-locking function. Fig.18 Taking the structure shown as an example, in the scenario where the steering wheel is switching modes, when the upper and lower wheel hubs rotate to the posture corresponding to the target mode, the motor 330 can be controlled to self-lock; after the motor 330 is self-locked, the upper and lower wheel hubs can be locked in the current posture through the transmission path between the motor and the upper and lower wheel hubs.

[0294] In the embodiment of the present application, by adopting a first motor with a self-locking function, the upper and lower wheel hubs can be locked in corresponding postures without providing a mechanical locking mechanism, which is beneficial to saving layout space in the steering wheel.

[0295] In actual scenarios, on the one hand, the self-locking function of the motor may occasionally fail; on the other hand, in certain manual driving scenarios, the user may apply a large force to the upper / lower wheel hub when holding the steering wheel. When the self-locking performance of the motor is poor, the upper / lower wheel hub may rotate around the corresponding axes 401, 501. This failure will seriously threaten driving safety.

[0296] Exemplarily, the steering wheel may include one or more locking pins, and the upper and lower hub portions may be provided with corresponding locking holes.

[0297] The following combination Fig.19 For illustrative purposes only.

[0298] In one example, refer to Fig.19 In (a), the steering wheel may include locking pins 361 and 362, which can move in the direction of the arrow relative to the intermediate support 320. The upper hub portion 100 may be provided with a locking hole 111 matching the locking pin 361; the lower hub portion 200 may be provided with a locking hole 211 matching the locking pin 362. In the driving mode, the locking pins 361 and 362 may be extended into the corresponding locking holes to lock the upper and lower hub portions.

[0299] In another example, refer to Fig.19 In (b), the steering wheel may include a locking pin 363. Fig.19The difference from (a) is that the locking pin 363 can cooperate with the locking hole 112 in the upper hub portion 100 and can also cooperate with the locking hole 212 in the lower hub portion 200. The locking hole 112 and the locking hole 212 can have different axes.

[0300] In another example, refer to Fig.19 In (c), the steering wheel may include a locking pin 364. Fig.19 The difference from (b) is that the two locking holes 112 and 212 matching with the locking pin 363 can be arranged along the same axis; and the locking hole 212 can be a through hole.

[0301] Compared to Fig.19 In (a), Fig.19 In (b) and (c), the locking pin 363 can match the locking holes of the upper hub part and the lower hub part, and the upper and lower hub parts can be locked at the same time by only one locking pin; compared with the method of using multiple locking pins to lock the upper and lower hub parts respectively, the number of parts in the steering wheel used to drive the locking pin to move can be reduced, which is beneficial to saving the layout space in the steering wheel.

[0302] Compared to Fig.19 In (b) and (c), Fig.19 In (a), the upper and lower wheel hubs are locked to the middle support member by two locking pins, which makes it easier to adapt to steering wheels of different shapes. Fig.19 In (b) and (c), the upper and lower hub parts may need to be provided with overlapping areas in the circumferential direction of the annular structure they form, while this requirement will not be involved in the solution of using two locking pins to respectively lock the upper and lower hub parts.

[0303] In some possible implementations, the steering wheel may include a first locking pin, the upper hub portion 100 may include a first locking hole that cooperates with the first locking pin, and the lower hub portion 200 may include a second locking hole that cooperates with the first locking pin. Fig.19 In (b) and (c), the locking pin 363 may correspond to the first locking pin, the locking hole 112 may correspond to the first locking hole, and the locking hole 212 may correspond to the second locking hole.

[0304] In the embodiment of the present application, since both the first locking hole and the second locking hole can cooperate with the first locking pin, the upper and lower hub parts can be locked at the same time through the locking pin.

[0305] In some possible implementations, the first locking hole and the second locking hole may be coaxially arranged. Fig.19 In (c), the lock holes 112 and 212 can be coaxially arranged; compared to Fig.19The solution shown in (b) can further save the space occupied by the locking pin and can also avoid the failure of the locking pin being able to cooperate with only one of the locking holes due to rotation.

[0306] In some possible implementations, the steering wheel 10 may further include a second motor 370 and a third transmission assembly 380. The third transmission assembly 380 may be used to transmit the first locking pin to the second motor so that the second motor 370 drives the first locking pin to move relative to the first lock hole and the second lock hole.

[0307] In the embodiment of the present application, a motor is used to drive the locking pin, which can save the user the manual locking and unlocking operations of the upper and lower wheel hubs, and is also conducive to linkage with other actuators in the cockpit, thereby providing the user with a richer experience.

[0308] In some possible implementations, the third transmission assembly 380 may include a first transmission rod 381, a first lock pin seat 382 for setting a first lock pin, and a fourth transmission assembly 383. The first transmission rod 381 is in transmission connection with the first lock pin seat, and the fourth transmission assembly 383 may be used to transmission connect the first transmission rod to the second motor 370.

[0309] The following Fig.16 As an example, assume that the steering wheel shown in Fig.19 The locking scheme shown in (c) in the figure, combined with Fig. 20 , the third transmission assembly and the fourth transmission assembly are exemplarily described.

[0310] For example, Fig. 20 It is a schematic diagram of the driving method of the lock pin provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0311] Fig. 20 The scheme shown can be understood as Fig.16 The motor 370 and the transmission assembly 380 are added to the scheme shown. In order to facilitate the presentation of the components of the transmission assembly 380, Fig. 20 Adopted with Fig.16 A different perspective.

[0312] Reference Fig.18 The transmission member 3831 can be arranged at the output end of the motor 370, and the transmission member 3832 can be arranged at one end of the transmission rod 381; the transmission member 3831 and the transmission member 3832 can adopt a worm gear transmission mode; the transmission members 3831 and 3832 can constitute a fourth transmission assembly 383. The lock pin seat 382 can be provided with a through hole, and the transmission rod 381 can pass through the through hole and be threadedly driven with the lock pin seat 382. The lock pin 363 can be arranged on the lock pin seat.

[0313] In this example, the rotation of the motor 370 will drive the transmission member 3831 to rotate, and then drive the transmission rod 381 to rotate through the transmission member 3832; when the transmission rod 381 rotates, the lock pin seat 382 threaded with the transmission rod 381 will move in the left-right direction, and then drive the lock pin 363 to lock / unlock the upper and lower hubs. Moreover, in this example, in the transmission path from the motor 370 to the lock pin 363, only the lock pin seat 382 can move in the left-right direction of the steering wheel.

[0314] In one example, the transmission member 3831 can be replaced by a gear, and correspondingly, the transmission member 3832 can be replaced by a rack; the lock pin seat 382 can be fixedly set on the transmission rod 381. In this example, when the motor 370 rotates, it can also drive the lock pin 363 to lock / unlock the upper and lower wheel hubs through the transmission path of the transmission assembly 383-transmission rod 381-lock pin seat 382. In this example, on the transmission path from the motor 370 to the lock pin 363, the transmission rod 381 and the lock pin seat 382 can both move in the left and right directions of the steering wheel; Fig. 20 Compared with the manner shown in the figure, the total length of the components in the transmission assembly 380 that move along the locking direction of the locking pin will increase, and accordingly, a larger layout space will be required.

[0315] In some possible implementations, the first transmission rod 381 and the first locking pin seat 382 may be connected by threaded transmission.

[0316] For example, refer to Fig. 20 The transmission rod 381 and the motor 370 are driven by a worm gear; the transmission rod 381 and the lock pin seat 382 can be driven by a thread. Accordingly, the intermediate support member 320 can be provided with a limited position structure so that the transmission rod 381 can rotate around its own axis but cannot move along its own axis.

[0317] In the embodiment of the present application, threaded transmission is adopted between the first transmission rod and the first lock pin seat, which can reduce the total length of the parts in the third transmission assembly that can move along the locking direction of the lock pin, and is conducive to saving the layout space in the steering wheel.

[0318] Exemplarily, when the steering wheel is in the driving mode, the first locking pin may be inserted into the first locking hole and the second locking hole; when the steering wheel is in the storage mode, the first locking pin may be outside the first locking hole and the second locking hole.

[0319] In the embodiment of the present application, in the driving mode, inserting the first lock pin into the first lock hole and the second lock hole is helpful to ensure the normal use of the steering wheel by the user.

[0320] In some possible implementations, the steering wheel 10 may also include a second locking pin and a fifth transmission assembly, and the first locking pin and the second locking pin may be arranged on two opposite sides of the steering wheel; the upper hub portion 100 may also include a third locking hole that cooperates with the second locking pin, and the lower hub portion 200 may include a fourth locking hole that cooperates with the second locking pin; the fifth transmission assembly can transmit the second locking pin to the second motor.

[0321] In some possible implementations, the first motor and the second motor may be disposed on both sides of the middle support member.

[0322] The following combination Fig.21 For illustrative purposes only.

[0323] Reference Fig.21 The motor 330 may be disposed on the left side of the steering wheel, and may drive the connecting shafts 410 and 510 to rotate respectively through the transmission components 340 and 350. The motor 370 may be disposed on the right side of the steering wheel, and may drive the lock pin 363 to move through the transmission component 380, and may drive the lock pin 364 to move through the transmission component 390. The transmission component 390 may correspond to the fifth transmission component, and the lock pin 364 may correspond to the second lock pin.

[0324] In the embodiment of the present application, the first motor and the second motor are respectively arranged on two sides of the steering wheel, which is beneficial to the weight balancing of the left and right sides of the steering wheel. Only a lighter counterweight block needs to be set or even no additional configuration block needs to be set to keep the steering wheel in a neutral position, thereby avoiding unexpected steering / yaw of the vehicle.

[0325] Above, combined Figures 2 to 21 The present invention introduces a steering wheel provided in an embodiment of the present invention. The present invention also provides a steering control system.

[0326] For example, the steering control system 600 may include: Figures 2 to 21 The steering system 600 may further include a steering column, which may be connected to the steering wheel; for example, the steering column is connected to the steering wheel via the central portion 300 of the steering wheel 10.

[0327] In some possible implementations, the steering column may have a telescopic function.

[0328] Exemplarily, the steering column may include a multi-stage column arranged along a certain axis (such as a third axis), and two adjacent columns in the multi-stage column can move relative to each other along the third axis. Accordingly, when the multi-stage column is in different postures, the steering column may have different lengths. For example, by retracting the steering column, the following can be achieved: Figure 3 or Fig.10 The overall retraction effect is shown.

[0329] The following combination Fig. 22 The control method provided by the embodiment of the present application is introduced. For the contents not introduced in detail, please refer to the embodiment of the steering wheel above.

[0330] For example, Fig. 22 800 is a flow chart of a control method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method 800 may include:

[0331] S810, acquiring control information, where the control information is used to indicate a target mode of the steering wheel.

[0332] Exemplarily, the target mode may include a driving mode or a storage mode.

[0333] For a description of the steering wheel, see Figures 2 to 21 The relevant embodiments of the present invention will not be described in detail here.

[0334] In one example, the control information may be obtained according to the detected voice command. For example, when a command of "fold up the steering wheel" issued by the user is detected, it may be determined that the target mode is the folding mode.

[0335] In another example, the control information may be obtained based on the user's manipulation of a physical or virtual button. For example, the vehicle may be provided with a physical or virtual button for switching the steering wheel mode, and the user's desired target mode may be obtained based on the user's manipulation of the button.

[0336] In another example, the mode of the steering wheel can be associated with the operating status of the vehicle and the cockpit. For example, when it is detected that the user turns off the engine and stops the car, the steering wheel can be switched to the storage mode. For another example, the cockpit has a rest mode, and the steering wheel can automatically switch to the storage mode in the rest mode; when it is detected that the user needs to switch the cockpit to the rest mode, the target mode can be determined to be the storage mode.

[0337] S820: Control the steering wheel to switch to the target mode according to the control information.

[0338] by Fig.21 Taking the steering wheel shown in the figure as an example, the process of switching to the target mode is illustrated.

[0339] In one example, when the target mode is the storage mode, the motor 370 can be controlled to drive the locking pins 363 and 364 to unlock the upper and lower hubs. After the upper and lower hubs are unlocked, the motor 330 can be controlled to drive the upper hub to rotate around the connecting shafts 410 and 420, and drive the lower hub to rotate around the connecting shafts 510 and 520 until the upper and lower hubs are in a posture corresponding to the storage mode.

[0340] In another example, when the target mode is the driving mode, the motor 330 can be controlled to drive the upper and lower wheel hubs to rotate until the two are in a posture corresponding to the driving mode; then the motor 370 can be controlled to drive the locking pins 363 and 364 to lock the upper and lower wheel hubs.

[0341] The motor and / or transmission assembly in the steering wheel is Fig.21 When there are differences, the actuation timing of each motor can be adjusted accordingly, which will not be elaborated here.

[0342] In an embodiment of the present application, the steering wheel is controlled to switch to the target mode according to the control information, so that the steering wheel can automatically switch to the corresponding state in different scenarios, which can reduce the user's manual operation of folding / unfolding the steering wheel and improve the user experience.

[0343] In some possible implementations, the steering wheel is connected to a steering column, and the steering column may include a coaxially arranged multi-stage column, and two adjacent stages of the multi-stage column can move relative to each other along their axis. The method may also include: controlling the length of the steering column according to the control information.

[0344] In one example, when the steering wheel is switched from the driving mode to the storage mode, the steering column can be controlled to shorten. For example, after the steering column is retracted, the steering wheel can be driven to retract to the preset storage area. For example, the following can be generated: Figure 3 The overall retraction effect is shown.

[0345] In another example, when the steering wheel is switched from the driving mode to the storage mode, the steering column can be controlled to retract. For example, after the steering column is extended, the steering wheel can be in the user's normal driving position.

[0346] In an embodiment of the present application, for a steering control system consisting of a steering column and a steering wheel, the postures of the steering wheel and the steering column are controlled according to control information, so that the overall deployment and storage of the steering control system can be achieved, which can save the user's manual operation of the steering control system during the deployment and storage process.

[0347] In some possible implementations, the length of the steering column can vary between a first length and a second length. The first length can be the length of the multi-stage column when it is unfolded along the third axis. The second length can be the length of the multi-stage column when it is retracted along the third axis. For example, the first length can be the length of the multi-stage column when it is fully unfolded. For another example, the first length can be the length of the multi-stage column after it is extended so that the user can conveniently drive the steering wheel. For another example, the second length can be the length of the multi-stage column when it is fully retracted. After the steering column is retracted, so that the steering wheel in the storage mode can be in a preset storage position, the length of the steering column can correspond to the second length.

[0348] In the embodiment of the present application, since the length of the steering column can be adjusted, the steering control system can occupy less space after being folded, which can avoid the sharp deterioration of aesthetics due to the excessive length of the steering column after the steering wheel is folded.

[0349] In some possible implementations, the steering wheel may be in a driving mode before the mode is switched, and the control information may indicate that the target mode is the storage mode. Controlling the length of the steering column according to the control information may include: according to the control information, first controlling the steering column to be shortened from a first length to a third length, then controlling the steering wheel to switch from the driving mode to the storage mode, and then controlling the steering column to be shortened from the third length to the second length.

[0350] In the embodiment of the present application, when storing, the steering column is controlled to shorten a part of its length first, and then the steering wheel is controlled to switch to the storage mode, which can reserve enough rotation space for the upper and lower wheel hubs, and can prevent the upper and lower wheel hubs from hitting the user during the rotation process. Then, the steering column is controlled to shorten further, so that the steering wheel and the steering column can be stored as a whole at a position farther away from the user, thereby achieving a better storage effect.

[0351] In some possible implementations, the steering wheel may be in a storage mode before the mode is switched, and the control information may indicate that the target mode is a driving mode. Controlling the length of the steering column according to the control information may include: according to the control information, first controlling the steering column to extend from the second length to the third length, then controlling the steering wheel to switch from the storage mode to the driving mode, and then controlling the steering column to extend from the third length to the first length.

[0352] In the embodiment of the present application, when unfolding, the steering column is controlled to extend a certain length first, and then the steering wheel is controlled to switch to the unfolding mode, which can reserve sufficient rotation space for the upper and lower wheel hubs, and can prevent the upper and lower wheel hubs from hitting surrounding components (such as the instrument panel, etc.) during the rotation process. Then, the steering column is controlled to extend further, and the steering wheel can be restored to a position suitable for the user to drive, so that the user can operate the steering wheel.

[0353] In one example, the third length can be set according to the space required for the upper and lower hub parts to rotate. For example, assuming that the first length is 120 cm, assuming that the second length is 50 cm, the third length can be 95 cm, 90 cm, etc.

[0354] Reference Fig.23 , Fig.23 (a) to (d) can be understood as a storage process of the steering wheel and steering column.

[0355] When storing the steering wheel and steering column, refer to Fig.23In (a) and (b), the steering column can be shortened first, and the steering wheel can be kept in driving mode during this process. By shortening the steering column, sufficient rotation space can be reserved for the upper hub 100. Fig.23 In (b) and (c), after the length of the steering column is shortened to a preset value, the upper and lower hub parts can be controlled to rotate to a posture corresponding to the storage mode. Fig.23 In (c) and (d), the steering column can be further shortened after the steering wheel is in the storage mode.

[0356] Correspondingly, Fig.23 (d) to (a) in the figure can be understood as an unfolding process of the steering wheel and the steering column. The unfolding process of the steering wheel and the steering column can be understood as the reverse process of the above process, which will not be described here.

[0357] In some possible implementations, the steering wheel may be in a driving mode before the mode is switched, and the control information may indicate that the target mode is the storage mode. Controlling the length of the steering column according to the control information may include: according to the control information, controlling the steering column to shorten from a first length to a fourth length, and controlling the steering wheel to remain in the driving mode; when the steering column is at the fourth length, controlling the steering wheel to switch from the driving mode to the driving mode, and controlling the steering column to continue shortening.

[0358] In the embodiment of the present application, when storing, the steering column is controlled to shorten a part of its length first, which can reserve enough rotation space for the upper and lower wheel hubs, and can prevent the upper and lower wheel hubs from hitting the user during the rotation process. Then, the steering wheel and the steering column are controlled to be stored at the same time, which can save the time required for the entire storage process and reduce the waiting time of the user.

[0359] In some possible implementations, the steering wheel may be in a storage mode before the mode is switched, and the control information may indicate that the target mode is a driving mode. Controlling the length of the steering column according to the control information may include: according to the control information, controlling the steering column to extend from the second length to a fourth length, and controlling the steering wheel to switch from the storage mode to the driving mode; when the steering column is at the fourth length, controlling the steering column to continue to extend, and controlling the steering wheel to remain in the driving mode.

[0360] In an embodiment of the present application, when unfolding, the steering column is controlled to extend a certain length first, and the steering wheel is controlled to complete the switching of the unfolding mode at a position farther away from the user, which can save the time required for the entire unfolding process and prevent the upper and lower wheel hubs from hitting the user.

[0361] In one example, the fourth length can be set according to the space required for the upper and lower hubs to rotate. For example, assuming the first length is 120 cm, assuming the second length is 55 cm, the fourth length can be 92 cm, 94 cm, etc.

[0362] Reference Fig.24 , Fig.24 (a) to (d) can be understood as a storage process of the steering wheel and steering column.

[0363] When storing the steering wheel and steering column, refer to Fig.24 For (a) and (b) in the figure, you can first shorten the steering column and keep the steering wheel in driving mode during this process. Fig.24 In (b) to (d), after the length of the steering column is shortened to a preset value, the upper and lower hub parts can be controlled to rotate to a posture corresponding to the storage mode. During this process, the steering column can be further shortened.

[0364] Correspondingly, Fig.24 (d) to (a) in the figure can be understood as an unfolding process of the steering wheel and the steering column. The unfolding process of the steering wheel and the steering column can be understood as the reverse process of the above process, which will not be described here.

[0365] In some possible implementations, the steering wheel may be in a driving mode before the mode is switched, and the control information may indicate that the target mode is the storage mode. Controlling the length of the steering column according to the control information may include: according to the control information, controlling the steering column to shorten from a first length to a fifth length, and controlling the steering wheel to switch from the storage mode to the driving mode; when the steering column is at the fifth length, controlling the steering column to continue shortening.

[0366] In the embodiment of the present application, when storing, the steering column is controlled to retract and the steering wheel is controlled to be retracted synchronously, which can save the time required for the entire storage process. In particular, for a steering wheel with a smaller radial size, this storage method is more concise and has a better effect on the user's perception.

[0367] In some possible implementations, the steering wheel may be in a storage mode before the mode is switched, and the control information may indicate that the target mode is a driving mode. Controlling the length of the steering column according to the control information may include: according to the control information, controlling the steering column to extend from the second length to the fifth length, and controlling the steering wheel to remain in the storage mode; when the steering column is at the fifth length, controlling the steering column to continue to extend, and controlling the steering wheel to switch from the storage mode to the driving mode.

[0368] In the embodiment of the present application, when unfolding, the steering column is first controlled to extend a portion, which can prevent the upper and lower hubs from hitting the surrounding parts during the rotation process. Then, the steering column is controlled to continue to extend and the steering wheel is controlled to unfold, which can save the time required for the entire unfolding process. In particular, for steering wheels with smaller radial dimensions, this unfolding method is more concise and has a better effect on user perception.

[0369] In one example, the fifth length can be set according to the space required for the upper and lower hub parts to rotate. For example, assuming that the first length is 120 cm, the fifth length can be 95 cm, 85 cm, etc.

[0370] Reference Fig.25 , Fig.25 (a) to (d) can be understood as a storage process of the steering wheel and steering column.

[0371] When storing the steering wheel and steering column, refer to Fig.25 (a) to (c) in the figure can control the steering wheel to switch from driving mode to storage mode, and control the steering column to shorten during the process. Fig.25 In (c) and (d), the steering column can be further shortened after the steering wheel is in the storage mode.

[0372] In some possible implementations, during the mode switching process, the total length of the steering wheel and the steering column may be less than or equal to a certain threshold.

[0373] Reference Fig.26 , the distance M may represent the total length of the steering wheel and the steering column. The distance M may be less than a certain threshold to prevent the steering wheel from hitting the user during the mode switching process. For example, the distance M may be 120 cm or 110 cm. For another example, assuming that the first length of the steering column is 110 cm, the distance M may be less than or equal to 110 cm.

[0374] In the embodiment of the present application, by limiting the total length of the steering wheel and the steering column during mode switching, it is possible to prevent the upper and lower wheel hubs from hitting the user when rotating, which is beneficial to ensuring the personal safety of the user.

[0375] In some possible implementations, the method may further include: during the process of switching to the target mode, when it is detected that the rotation process of the upper hub portion and / or the lower hub portion is blocked, controlling the steering wheel to return to the posture before the mode switching.

[0376] Reference Fig. 27 , Fig. 27 (a) to (c) in the figure can be understood as a recovery method when mode switching is blocked.

[0377] exist Fig. 27 In the example, it is assumed that the steering wheel is in the driving mode before the mode switching, and the corresponding target mode is the storage mode.

[0378] When storing the steering wheel and steering column, refer to Fig. 27 (a) and (b) in the figure can control the rotation of the upper and lower hubs. Fig. 27At the moment corresponding to (b) in FIG. 1 , the upper wheel hub hits the human body; when it is detected that the upper wheel hub hits the human body during the rotation process, the upper and lower wheel hubs can be controlled to return to the posture corresponding to the driving mode, such as Fig. 27 As shown in (b) and (c) in .

[0379] In an embodiment of the present application, when the mode switch is blocked, the steering wheel is controlled to restore the state before the mode switch. This is beneficial for keeping the damage caused to the user at a lower intensity when the user is hit during the mode switch, and is also beneficial for avoiding damage to the steering wheel due to forced switching to the target mode when the mode switch is blocked.

[0380] In some possible implementations, the cockpit where the steering wheel is located may also include a main driver's seat. The method may also include: controlling the main driver's seat to adjust its posture according to the control information. For example, the adjustment of the seat posture may include at least one of the front and rear position of the seat, the height of the seat, the posture of the backrest, and the posture of the leg rest.

[0381] In the embodiment of the present application, the posture of the driver's seat is controlled and adjusted according to the control information, which can further prevent the upper and lower wheels from hitting the user during mode switching, which is beneficial to ensuring the personal safety of the user and can also support the cockpit to achieve richer modes.

[0382] In some possible implementations, adjusting the posture of the driver's seat may include: before switching the steering wheel mode, controlling the driver's seat to adjust backward.

[0383] Assume that the steering wheel and steering column are Fig.23 The following method is used to store and unfold the Fig.28 For illustrative purposes only.

[0384] Reference Fig.28 , Fig.28 (a) to (d) can be understood as the adjustment methods for the steering wheel, steering column and seat during the storage process.

[0385] During the collection process, refer to Fig.28 In (a) and (b), when the steering column is stowed, the driver's seat can be moved backwards, leaving enough rotation space for the upper wheel hub. Fig.28 In (b) and (c), after the seat moves backward to the preset position, it can be maintained in that position until the steering wheel is completely stored. Fig.28 In (c) and (d), after the steering wheel is in the storage mode, or even after the steering column has been stored, the driver's seat can be controlled to return to the posture before the storage process.

[0386] In the embodiment of the present application, before the steering wheel mode is switched, the driver's seat is controlled to move backward, which can provide sufficient rotation space for the steering wheel to prevent the steering wheel from hitting the user during the mode switching process. After the steering wheel mode is switched, the driver's seat is controlled to return to the state before the mode switching, which can save the user from manually adjusting the seat.

[0387] Exemplarily, before adjusting the seat posture, the user may be prompted, for example, by voice, prompt tone, etc., to remind the user that the posture will be adjusted to avoid the user being startled by a sudden change in the seat posture.

[0388] In some possible implementations, during the stowage or deployment process, within a first time period, at least two of the upper hub portion, the lower hub portion, the steering column, and the seat of the steering wheel are controlled to perform posture adjustment.

[0389] Exemplarily, the first time period can be any time period. For example, in time period #1, the upper and lower hubs can rotate simultaneously. For another example, in time period #2, the upper hub can rotate and the length of the steering column can be adjusted. For another example, in time period #3, the posture of the seat can be adjusted while the steering column is extended and retracted.

[0390] In one example, refer to Fig.24 From (b) to (d) in the storage process, the posture changes of the upper hub portion, the lower hub portion and the steering column can occupy a certain time period at the same time.

[0391] In another example, refer to Fig.28 In (a) and (b), during the storage process, the posture changes of the steering column and the seat can occupy a certain period of time at the same time.

[0392] In an embodiment of the present application, the upper wheel hub, the lower wheel hub, the steering column and multiple components in the seat can be synchronously adjusted in posture within a first time period, which can greatly save the total time required for the entire storage / deployment process.

[0393] In some possible implementations, after the user parks the vehicle, the steering wheel may be controlled to be in a storage mode.

[0394] Combination of the above Figure 22 to Figure 28 The control method provided by the embodiment of the present application is introduced. Fig.29 and Fig.30 The control device provided in the embodiment of the present application is described. The description of the control device embodiment corresponds to the description of the method embodiment, so the contents not described in detail can refer to the above method embodiment.

[0395] For example, Fig.29As shown, the device 2000 may include an acquisition unit 2010 and a processing unit 2020. The device 2000 is used to perform Fig. 22 When the method 800 is performed, the acquisition unit 2010 can be used to execute step S810 in the method 800, and the processing unit 2020 can be used to execute step S820 in the method 800.

[0396] Specifically, the acquisition unit 2010 may be used to: acquire control information, where the control information is used to indicate a target mode of the steering wheel. The processing unit 2020 may be used to: control the steering wheel to switch to the target mode according to the control information.

[0397] In a specific implementation process, the acquisition unit 2010 can be implemented by at least one processor or a processor-related circuit, and the processing unit 2020 can be implemented by at least one transceiver or a transceiver-related circuit. In one example, one or more processors can acquire control information. In one example, one or more processors can control the steering wheel to switch to a target mode according to the control information. Exemplarily, in a specific implementation process, the device 2000 can be a controller of the steering wheel 10, a steering control device or a cockpit, or can be a chip or processor disposed in the controller.

[0398] For example, Fig.30 3000 (hereinafter referred to as device 3000) provided in an embodiment of the present application. The device 3000 may include: a processor 3010, an interface circuit 3020 and a memory 3030. The processor 3010, the interface circuit 3020 and the memory 3030 are connected through an internal connection path, the memory 3030 is used to store instructions, the processor 3010 is used to execute the instructions stored in the memory 3030, and the interface circuit 3020 receives / sends some parameters. Optionally, the memory 3030 can be coupled to the processor 3010 through an interface, or integrated with the processor 3010.

[0399] It should be noted that the interface circuit 3020 may include but is not limited to a transceiver such as an input / output interface to achieve communication between the device 3000 and other devices or a communication network. For example, control information may be obtained through the interface circuit 3020, or communication with a motor in a steering wheel may be achieved.

[0400] In the embodiment of the present application, the processor is a circuit with the ability to process signals. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with the ability to read and run instructions, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP); in another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationship of a hardware circuit, and the logical relationship of the hardware circuit is fixed or reconfigurable, such as a hardware circuit implemented by a processor as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA). In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document to implement the hardware circuit configuration can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units. In addition, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a neural network processing unit (NPU), a tensor processing unit (TPU), a deep learning processing unit (DPU), etc.

[0401] The present application also provides a computer program product, which includes: a computer program code, when the computer program code is run on a computer, the computer executes the above Fig. 22 The method embodiment in, and any possible implementation thereof.

[0402] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores program codes or instructions. When the computer program codes or instructions are executed by a processor of a computer, the processor implements the above-mentioned Fig. 22 The method embodiment in, and any possible implementation thereof.

[0403] The present application also provides a chip, including a processing circuit, which can be used to run a computer program so that the chip executes the above Fig. 22 The method embodiment in, and any possible implementation thereof.

[0404] The embodiment of the present application also provides a cockpit, which may include the above Figures 2 to 21 Any steering wheel, or, may include the above-mentioned device 2000 or 3000.

[0405] The embodiment of the present application also provides a vehicle, which may include Figures 2 to 21 Any steering wheel, or, may include a steering control system 600, or, may include the above-mentioned device 2000 or 3000.

[0406] The vehicles involved in the embodiments of the present application may be vehicles in a broad sense, such as commercial vehicles, passenger cars, motorcycles, flying cars, trains, industrial vehicles (such as forklifts, trailers, tractors, etc.), engineering vehicles (such as excavators, bulldozers, cranes, etc.), agricultural equipment (such as mowers, harvesters, etc.), amusement equipment, toy vehicles, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit the types of vehicles. For example, the vehicle in the present application may be a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a range extended electric vehicle (REEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) or a new energy vehicle (NEV), etc.

[0407] The present application also provides a vehicle, which includes Figures 2 to 10 Any of the stowable steering wheels shown.

[0408] The above-mentioned means of transportation can be a car, truck, motorcycle, bus, ship, airplane, helicopter, lawn mower, recreational vehicle, amusement park vehicle, construction equipment, tram, golf cart, train, and cart, etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not particularly limited.

[0409] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0410] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0411] In the several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0412] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0413] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0414] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application can be essentially or partly embodied in the form of a software product that contributes to the prior art. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to perform all or part of the steps of the methods described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0415] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art who is familiar with the present technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, which should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A foldable steering wheel, characterized in that: The stowable steering wheel comprises: An upper wheel rim, wherein the upper wheel rim comprises a first arc-shaped wheel hub portion and a first connecting portion, wherein the first arc-shaped wheel hub portion is connected to the first connecting portion, wherein the first arc-shaped wheel hub portion has a first rotating shaft, and wherein the first arc-shaped wheel hub portion can rotate along the first rotating shaft; The lower wheel rim includes a second arc-shaped hub portion and a second connecting portion, the second arc-shaped hub portion is connected to the second connecting portion, the second arc-shaped hub portion has a second rotating shaft, the second arc-shaped hub portion can rotate along the second rotating shaft, the second rotating shaft is parallel to the first rotating shaft, and the second rotating shaft is located above the first rotating shaft.

2. The stowable steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein: When the stowable steering wheel is in a first mode, the first arc-shaped hub portion and the second arc-shaped hub portion are in a first plane; When the retractable steering wheel is in the second mode, the second connecting portion is used to drive the second arc-shaped hub portion to rotate along the first direction to the second plane, and the first connecting portion is used to drive the first arc-shaped hub portion to rotate along the first direction to the third plane, the angle between the second plane and the first plane is a first preset value, and the angle between the third plane and the first plane is a second preset value.

3. The stowable steering wheel according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first connecting portion includes: a first connecting shaft and a second connecting shaft, the first connecting shaft and the second connecting shaft are located on the same straight line, and the first connecting shaft and the second connecting shaft are used to realize the first rotating shaft.

4. The stowable steering wheel according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The second connecting part includes: a third connecting shaft, a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, a third connecting rod and a fourth connecting rod, the third connecting shaft is used to realize the second rotating shaft, wherein the first end of the third connecting shaft is connected to the first end of the second connecting rod through the first connecting rod, the second end of the third connecting shaft is connected to the first end of the fourth connecting rod through the third connecting rod, the second connecting rod and the fourth connecting rod are on the same straight line and are parallel to the third connecting shaft, and the second end of the second connecting rod and the second end of the fourth connecting rod are respectively connected to the two ends of the second arc-shaped hub portion.

5. The stowable steering wheel according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first connecting portion is a first gear, and the first gear is used to realize the first rotating shaft. The second connecting portion is a second gear, and the second gear is used to realize the second rotating shaft.

6. A stowable steering wheel, characterized in that: The stowable steering wheel comprises: An upper wheel rim, wherein the upper wheel rim comprises a third arc-shaped wheel hub portion and a third connecting portion, wherein the third arc-shaped wheel hub portion is connected to the third connecting portion, wherein the third arc-shaped wheel hub portion has a third rotating shaft, and wherein the third arc-shaped wheel hub portion can rotate along the third rotating shaft; A lower wheel rim, wherein the lower wheel rim comprises a fourth arc-shaped wheel hub portion and a fourth connecting portion, wherein the fourth arc-shaped wheel hub portion is connected to the fourth connecting portion, wherein the fourth arc-shaped wheel hub portion has a fourth rotating shaft, and wherein the fourth arc-shaped wheel hub portion can rotate along the fourth rotating shaft; When the stowable steering wheel is in the fourth mode, the third arcuate hub portion and the fourth arcuate hub portion have different diameters.

7. The stowable steering wheel according to claim 6, wherein: The third rotating axis and the fourth rotating axis are located on the same straight line.

8. The stowable steering wheel according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: When the stowable steering wheel is in the third mode, the third arcuate hub portion and the fourth arcuate hub portion are in a fourth plane; When the retractable steering wheel is in the fourth mode, the fourth connecting portion is used to drive the fourth arc-shaped hub portion to rotate along the first direction to the fifth plane, and the third connecting portion is used to drive the third arc-shaped hub portion to rotate along the first direction to the fifth plane, and the angle between the fifth plane and the first plane is a third preset value.

9. The stowable steering wheel according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: When the stowable steering wheel is in the third mode, the third arcuate hub portion and the fourth arcuate hub portion are in a fourth plane; When the retractable steering wheel is in the fourth mode, the fourth connection portion is used to drive the fourth arc-shaped hub portion to rotate along the first direction to the sixth plane, and the third connection portion is used to drive the third arc-shaped hub portion to rotate along the first direction to the seventh plane, the angle between the sixth plane and the fourth plane is a fourth preset value, the angle between the seventh plane and the fourth plane is a fifth preset value, and the fourth preset value is different from the fifth preset value.

10. The stowable steering wheel according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The third connecting portion includes: a fourth connecting shaft and a fifth connecting shaft, the fourth connecting shaft and the fifth connecting shaft are located on the same straight line, and the fourth connecting shaft and the fifth connecting shaft are used to realize the third rotating shaft.

11. The stowable steering wheel according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The fourth connecting part includes: a sixth connecting shaft, a fifth connecting rod, a sixth connecting rod, a seventh connecting rod and an eighth connecting rod, the sixth connecting shaft is used to realize the fourth rotating shaft, wherein the first end of the sixth connecting shaft is connected to the first end of the sixth connecting rod through the fifth connecting rod, the second end of the sixth connecting shaft is connected to the first end of the eighth connecting rod through the seventh connecting rod, the sixth connecting rod and the eighth connecting rod are on the same straight line and are parallel to the sixth connecting shaft, the second end of the sixth connecting rod and the second end of the eighth connecting rod are respectively connected to the two ends of the fourth arc-shaped hub portion.

12. The stowable steering wheel according to claim 11, wherein: The sixth connecting shaft comprises: a first connecting section and a second connecting section; When the stowable steering wheel is in the third mode, the first connecting section and the second connecting section are separated, so that the length of the fourth connecting portion parallel to the sixth connecting axis is a first length; When the stowable steering wheel is in the fourth mode, the first connecting section and the second connecting section are connected so that the length of the fourth connecting portion parallel to the sixth connecting axis is a second length, and the second length is smaller than the first length.

13. The stowable steering wheel according to claim 12, wherein: The fourth arc-shaped hub portion is provided with a first telescopic portion; When the stowable steering wheel is in the third mode, the first telescopic portion is in an extended state, so that the diameter of the fourth arc-shaped hub portion is a third length. When the stowable steering wheel is in the fourth mode, the first telescopic portion is in a compressed state, so that the diameter of the fourth arc-shaped hub portion is a fourth length, and the fourth length is smaller than the third length.

14. The stowable steering wheel according to claim 13, wherein: The difference between the first length and the second length is equal to the difference between the third length and the fourth length.

15. The stowable steering wheel according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The third arc-shaped hub portion is provided with a second telescopic portion; When the stowable steering wheel is in the third mode, the second telescopic portion is in a compressed state, and the diameter of the third arc-shaped hub portion is a fifth length. When the stowable steering wheel is in the fourth mode, the second telescopic portion is in an extended state, and the diameter of the third arc-shaped hub portion is a sixth length, which is greater than the fifth length.

16. The stowable steering wheel according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The diameter of the third arc-shaped hub portion is the seventh length, and the diameter of the fourth arc-shaped hub portion is the eighth length, and the eighth length is smaller than the seventh length.

17. The stowable steering wheel according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The third connecting portion is a third gear, and the third gear is used to realize the third rotating shaft. The fourth connecting portion is a fourth gear, and the fourth gear is used to realize the fourth rotating shaft.

18. A means of transport, characterized in that: include: A stowable steering wheel as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, or 6 to 17.

19. A steering wheel (10), characterized in that: The steering wheel (10) comprises an upper hub portion (100), a lower hub portion (200) and a central portion (300), and the steering wheel (10) has a driving mode and a storage mode; When the steering wheel (10) is in the driving mode, the upper hub portion (100) and the lower hub portion (200) together form an annular structure surrounding the central portion (300) and capable of being held by a user, and the upper hub portion (100) and the lower hub portion (200) are respectively located on the upper side and the lower side of the annular structure; When the steering wheel (10) is in the storage mode, the upper hub portion (100) and the lower hub portion (200) are both stored at the lower rear of the central portion (300).

20. The steering wheel (10) according to claim 19, characterized in that The steering wheel (10) further comprises a fifth connecting portion (400) and a sixth connecting portion (500). The upper hub portion (100) is connected to the central portion (300) via the fifth connecting portion (400), the fifth connecting portion (400) comprising a rotating shaft arranged along a first axis (401), and the upper hub portion (100) can rotate along the first axis (401); The lower hub portion (200) is connected to the central portion (300) via the sixth connecting portion (500), and the sixth connecting portion (500) includes a rotating shaft arranged along a second axis (501), and the lower hub portion (200) can rotate along the second axis (501).

21. The steering wheel (10) according to claim 20, characterized in that When the steering wheel (10) is in the driving mode, the upper hub portion (100) and the lower hub portion (200) are located in an eighth plane; When the steering wheel (10) is in the storage mode, the fifth connection portion (400) is used to drive the upper hub portion (100) to rotate along the first direction to a ninth plane, and the sixth connection portion (500) is used to drive the lower hub portion (200) to rotate along the first direction to a tenth plane.

22. The steering wheel (10) according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that The second axis (501) is parallel to the first axis (401), and the second axis (501) is located above the first axis (401).

23. The steering wheel (10) according to claim 22, characterized in that The angle between the ninth plane and the eighth plane is a first preset value, and the angle between the tenth plane and the eighth plane is a second preset value.

24. The steering wheel (10) according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that When the steering wheel (10) is in the storage mode, the diameters of the upper hub portion (100) and the lower hub portion (200) are different.

25. The steering wheel (10) according to claim 24, characterized in that The first axis (401) and the second axis (501) are the same axis; and / or, The ninth plane and the tenth plane are the same plane, and an angle between the ninth plane and the eighth plane is a third preset value.

26. The steering wheel (10) according to any one of claims 20 to 25, characterized in that The rotating shaft included in the fifth connecting portion (400) and arranged along the first axis (401) includes a seventh connecting shaft (410) and an eighth connecting shaft (420), and the seventh connecting shaft (410) and the eighth connecting shaft (420) are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the central portion (300); and / or, The rotating shaft included in the sixth connecting portion (500) and arranged along the second axis (501) includes a ninth connecting shaft (510) and a tenth connecting shaft (520), and the ninth connecting shaft (510) and the tenth connecting shaft (520) are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the central portion (300).

27. The steering wheel (10) according to claim 26, characterized in that The steering wheel (10) further includes a first motor (330) and a first transmission assembly (340); The first transmission assembly (340) is used to transmit and connect the seventh connecting shaft (410) to the first motor (330), so that the first motor (330) drives the seventh connecting shaft (410) to rotate along the first axis (401).

28. The steering wheel (10) according to claim 27, characterized in that The steering wheel (10) further comprises a second transmission assembly (350), The second transmission assembly (350) is used to transmit and connect the ninth connecting shaft (510) to the first motor (330), so that the first motor (330) drives the ninth connecting shaft (510) to rotate along the second axis (501).

29. The steering wheel (10) according to claim 28, characterized in that The reduction ratio of the first transmission assembly (340) is smaller than the reduction ratio of the second transmission assembly (350).

30. The steering wheel (10) according to any one of claims 27 to 29, characterized in that The first motor (330) has a self-locking function.

31. The steering wheel (10) according to any one of claims 19 to 30, characterized in that The steering wheel (10) further comprises a first locking pin (363), the upper hub portion (100) comprises a first locking hole (112) cooperating with the first locking pin (363), and the lower hub portion (200) comprises a second locking hole (212) cooperating with the first locking pin (363).

32. The steering wheel (10) according to claim 31, characterized in that The first locking hole (112) and the second locking hole (212) are coaxially arranged.

33. The steering wheel (10) according to claim 31 or 32, characterized in that The steering wheel (10) further includes a second motor (370) and a third transmission assembly (380). The third transmission assembly (380) is used to transmission-connect the first locking pin (363) to the second motor (370) so that the first locking pin (363) moves relative to the first locking hole (112) and the second locking hole (212).

34. The steering wheel (10) according to claim 33, characterized in that The third transmission assembly (380) comprises a first transmission rod (381), a first lock pin seat (382) for arranging the first lock pin (363), and a fourth transmission assembly (383); The first locking pin seat (382) is connected to the first transmission rod (381); The fourth transmission assembly (383) is used to transmission-connect the first transmission rod (381) to the second motor (370).

35. The steering wheel (10) according to claim 34, characterized in that The first transmission rod (381) and the first locking pin seat (382) are connected by threaded transmission.

36. The steering wheel (10) according to any one of claims 31 to 35, characterized in that When the steering wheel (10) is in the driving mode, the first lock pin (363) is inserted into the first lock hole (112) and the second lock hole (212); When the steering wheel (10) is in the storage mode, the first locking pin (363) is outside the first locking hole (112) and the second locking hole (212).

37. The steering wheel (10) according to any one of claims 33 to 36, characterized in that The steering wheel (10) further comprises a second locking pin (364) and a fifth transmission assembly (390), wherein the first locking pin (363) and the second locking pin (364) are arranged on two opposite sides of the steering wheel (10); The upper hub portion (100) further comprises a third locking hole matched with the second locking pin (364), and the lower hub portion (200) further comprises a fourth locking hole matched with the second locking pin (364); The fifth transmission assembly (390) is used to transmission-connect the second locking pin (364) to the second motor (370).

38. The steering wheel (10) according to any one of claims 33 to 36, characterized in that The second motor (370) and the first motor (330) are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the steering wheel (10).

39. A steering control system, characterized in that: The steering system comprises a steering wheel (10) according to any one of claims 19 to 38, and the steering system further comprises a steering column, the steering wheel (10) being connected to the steering column.

40. The steering control system according to claim 39, characterized in that: The steering column comprises a multi-stage column coaxially arranged along a third axis, and two adjacent stages of the multi-stage column are capable of relatively moving along the third axis.

41. A control method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Acquiring control information, where the control information is used to indicate a target mode of the steering wheel, where the target mode includes a driving mode or a storage mode; According to the control information, controlling the steering wheel to switch to the target mode; Wherein, the steering wheel is the steering wheel as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 38.

42. The method according to claim 41, characterized in that The steering wheel is connected to a steering column, and the steering column comprises a multi-stage column coaxially arranged along a third axis, and two adjacent stages of the multi-stage column can move relatively along the third axis; The method further comprises: The length of the steering column is controlled according to the control information.

43. The method according to claim 42, characterized in that The length of the steering column can be changed between a first length and a second length, wherein the first length is the length of the multi-stage column when it is deployed along the third axis, and the second length is the length of the multi-stage column when it is retracted along the third axis.

44. The method according to claim 43, characterized in that The steering wheel is in the driving mode before the mode switching, and the control information indicates that the target mode is the storage mode; The step of controlling the length of the steering column according to the control information comprises: According to the control information, the steering column is first controlled to be shortened from the first length to the third length, the steering wheel is then controlled to switch from the driving mode to the storage mode, and then the steering column is controlled to be shortened from the third length to the second length.

45. The method according to claim 43, characterized in that The steering wheel is in the storage mode before the mode switching, and the control information indicates that the target mode is the driving mode; The step of controlling the length of the steering column according to the control information comprises: According to the control information, the steering column is first controlled to extend from the second length to the third length, the steering wheel is then controlled to switch from the storage mode to the driving mode, and then the steering column is controlled to extend from the third length to the first length.

46. ​​The method according to claim 43, characterized in that The steering wheel is in the driving mode before the mode switching, and the control information indicates that the target mode is the storage mode; The step of controlling the length of the steering column according to the control information comprises: According to the control information, controlling the steering column to shorten from the first length to a fourth length, and controlling the steering wheel to remain in the driving mode; When the steering column is at the fourth length, the steering wheel is controlled to switch from the driving mode to the driving mode, and the steering column is controlled to continue to shorten.

47. The method according to claim 43, characterized in that The steering wheel is in the storage mode before the mode switching, and the control information indicates that the target mode is the driving mode; The step of controlling the length of the steering column according to the control information comprises: According to the control information, controlling the steering column to extend from the second length to a fourth length, and controlling the steering wheel to switch from the storage mode to the driving mode; When the steering column is at the fourth length, the steering column is controlled to continue to extend, and the steering wheel is controlled to remain in the driving mode.

48. The method according to claim 43, characterized in that The steering wheel is in the driving mode before the mode switching, and the control information indicates that the target mode is the storage mode; The step of controlling the length of the steering column according to the control information comprises: According to the control information, controlling the steering column to shorten from the first length to a fifth length, and controlling the steering wheel to switch from the storage mode to the driving mode; When the steering column is at the fifth length, the steering column is controlled to be further shortened.

49. The method according to claim 43, characterized in that The steering wheel is in the storage mode before the mode switching, and the control information indicates that the target mode is the driving mode; The step of controlling the length of the steering column according to the control information comprises: According to the control information, controlling the steering column to extend from the second length to a fifth length, and controlling the steering wheel to remain in the storage mode; When the steering column is at the fifth length, the steering column is controlled to continue to extend, and the steering wheel is controlled to switch from the storage mode to the driving mode.

50. The method according to any one of claims 41 to 49, characterized in that The method further comprises: During the process of switching to the target mode, when it is detected that the rotation process of the upper hub portion and / or the lower hub portion is blocked, the steering wheel is controlled to return to the posture before the mode switching.

51. The method according to any one of claims 41 to 50, characterized in that The vehicle including the steering wheel is also provided with a driver's seat, and the method further comprises: According to the control information, the posture of the driver's seat is adjusted.

52. The method according to claim 51, characterized in that The adjusting the posture of the driver's seat includes: Before switching the mode of the steering wheel, the driver's seat is controlled to adjust backward.

53. The method according to claim 52, characterized in that The adjusting the posture of the driver's seat further includes: After the steering wheel is switched to the target mode, the driver's seat is controlled to return to the posture before the mode switching.

54. The method according to any one of claims 51 to 53, characterized in that In a first time period, postures of at least two of the upper hub portion, the lower hub portion, the steering column, and the seat are changed simultaneously.

55. The method according to any one of claims 41 to 54, characterized in that The step of controlling the steering wheel to switch to the target mode according to the control information includes: When it is detected that the vehicle is parked, the steering wheel is controlled to switch to the storage mode.

56. The method according to any one of claims 41 to 55, characterized in that During the mode switching process, the length of the steering wheel and the steering column along the third axis is less than or equal to the first length.

57. A device, characterized in that The device comprises at least one processor coupled to at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is used to execute a computer program or instruction stored in the at least one memory so that the device performs a method as claimed in any one of claims 41 to 56.

58. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that Instructions or program codes are stored thereon, and when the instructions or program codes are executed by a processor, the processor implements the method as claimed in any one of claims 41 to 56.

59. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises: a computer program code, and when the computer program code is executed, the method according to any one of claims 41 to 56 is implemented.

60. A chip, characterized in that: It comprises a circuit and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is used to receive information from other devices and input the information into the circuit, and / or the communication interface is used to send the information in the circuit to other devices, and the circuit is used to execute the method as described in any one of claims 41 to 56.

61. A vehicle, characterized in that: The vehicle comprises a steering wheel as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 38, or a steering control system as claimed in claim 39 or 40, or an apparatus as claimed in claim 57.

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