Steering-by-wire system for automobile and automobile

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of automobiles, and particularly provides a steer-by-wire system for an automobile and the automobile. The steer-by-wire system comprises a force feedback motor and a steering angle displacement sensor. Wherein the force feedback motor comprises an inner stator and an outer rotor, and the inner stator is used for being connected with an automobile body of an automobile; the outer rotor is used for connecting a steering wheel to rotate along with the steering wheel. The rotation angle displacement sensor is fixedly connected with the inner stator and detects the rotation angle of the outer rotor through the eddy current principle. As the sensor adopting the eddy current principle has the characteristics of good reliability, high sensitivity, strong anti-interference capability, non-contact measurement, high response speed and no influence of media such as oil and water during long-term work, compared with a TMR sensor in the prior art, the angle displacement sensor adopting the eddy current principle is more reliable in detection precision, and the detection accuracy is higher. The condition of detection distortion does not occur, and the driving safety of a user is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of automobiles, and specifically provides a steer-by-wire system and an automobile for an automobile. Background Art

[0002] The steering systems of existing automobiles mainly include a hydraulic power steering (HPS) system, an electro-hydraulic power steering (EHPS) system, an electric power steering (EPS) system, and a steer-by-wire (SBW) system.

[0003] Generally, the road feeling motor in the above-mentioned steer-by-wire system includes an outer stator fixed to the vehicle body and an inner rotor rotatably connected synchronously with the steering wheel. The steer-by-wire system detects the rotation angle of the inner rotor relative to the outer stator through a TMR sensor, so as to determine the rotation angle of the steering wheel. Among them, TMR refers to "Tunneling Magnetoresistance", which is a sensor technology using the magneto-tunneling effect.

[0004] Since the change speed of the resistance value of the TMR sensor is related to the change of the external magnetic field, it is easily affected by external electromagnetic interference. This also causes the existing steer-by-wire system to be extremely susceptible to external electromagnetic interference when using the TMR sensor to detect the rotation angle of the road feeling motor, resulting in inaccurate detection results, and further affecting the steering control of the vehicle by the user. Summary of the Invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to solve the problem that the corner sensor in the existing steer-by-wire system is easily affected by external electromagnetic interference, which affects its detection accuracy.

[0006] A further object of the present invention is how to determine the steering angle of the steering wheel when the signal output by the corner displacement sensor has a periodic change.

[0007] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a steer-by-wire system for an automobile, including:

[0008] A force feedback motor, including an inner stator and an outer rotor, the inner stator is used to connect the vehicle body of the automobile; the outer rotor is used to connect the steering wheel to rotate following the steering wheel;

[0009] A corner displacement sensor, fixedly connected to the inner stator, and detecting the rotation angle of the outer rotor through the principle of eddy current.

[0010] Optionally, the steer-by-wire system further includes a measured component, the measured component is fixedly connected to or integrally formed with the outer rotor, and the measured component is configured to be detectable by the corner displacement sensor, so that the corner displacement sensor determines the rotation angle of the outer rotor by detecting the measured component.

[0011] Optionally, the component under test is arranged in a ring shape and provided with a plurality of inner convex teeth protruding towards its inner side; the sensing part of the angular displacement sensor is arranged in a ring shape corresponding to the plurality of inner convex teeth, so that the angular displacement sensor determines the rotation angle of the outer rotor by sensing the plurality of inner convex teeth.

[0012] Optionally, the component under test is fixed to one end of the outer rotor close to the angular displacement sensor by bolts / screws; and / or, the component under test includes five of the inner convex teeth.

[0013] Optionally, a threaded structure is arranged on the outer side of the circumferential wall of the outer rotor; the steer-by-wire system further includes a limit seat, a cursor block and a linear displacement sensor. The limit seat is arranged on the outside of the outer rotor and fixedly connected or integrally formed with the inner stator, and a first sliding structure is arranged on the limit seat; the cursor block is provided with a threaded mating structure engaged with the threaded structure and a second sliding structure slidably connected with the first sliding structure, so that the cursor block linearly moves along the extending direction of the first sliding structure when the outer rotor rotates; the linear displacement sensor is used to detect the linear displacement of the cursor block to determine the current signal period of the angular displacement sensor, and further determine the absolute rotation angle of the outer rotor according to the current signal period.

[0014] Optionally, the steer-by-wire system further includes a motor fixing member, which is fixedly connected or integrally formed with the inner stator and is used to connect the vehicle body of the automobile to fix the inner stator to the vehicle body; the motor fixing member is fixedly connected or integrally formed with the limit seat.

[0015] Optionally, the motor fixing member is a pipe column. One end of the pipe column close to the inner stator is provided with an axial fixing part having an axial hole and a radial fixing part having a radial hole. The axial fixing part is fixedly connected with the inner stator through the axial hole by means of bolts / screws, and the radial fixing part is fixedly connected with the limit seat through the radial hole by means of bolts / screws.

[0016] Optionally, the steer-by-wire system further includes a housing for accommodating the angular displacement sensor and the linear displacement sensor. The housing includes a first mounting part for mounting the angular displacement sensor and a second mounting part for mounting the linear displacement sensor; the first mounting part is fixedly connected with the axial fixing part of the pipe column, and the second mounting part is fixedly connected with the limit seat.

[0017] Optionally, a counterbore with an opening facing the pipe column is provided on the first mounting portion, and a first fixing post is provided on a side of the first mounting portion close to the pipe column. The first fixing post is provided with a threaded hole; a corner fixing hole corresponding to the counterbore and the first fixing post is provided on the axial fixing portion, so as to fix the first mounting portion to the axial fixing portion through the counterbore, the first fixing post and the corner fixing hole; and / or, a second fixing post is provided on the second mounting portion. The second fixing post is provided with a threaded hole; a linear fixing hole is provided on the limit seat, so as to fix the second mounting portion to the limit seat through the second fixing post and the linear fixing hole.

[0018] In a second aspect, the present invention provides an automobile, including the steer-by-wire system according to any one of the first aspect.

[0019] Based on the foregoing description, those skilled in the art can understand that in the foregoing technical solution of the present invention, by enabling the corner displacement sensor fixedly connected to the inner stator to detect the rotation angle of the outer rotor through the eddy current principle, the detection of the steering angle of the steering wheel is realized. At the same time, since the sensor adopting the eddy current principle has the characteristics of good reliability, high sensitivity, strong anti-interference ability, non-contact measurement, fast response speed, and being unaffected by media such as oil and water during long-term operation (this is common general knowledge in the art), the corner displacement sensor adopting the eddy current principle is used in the present invention. Compared with the TMR sensor in the prior art, the detection accuracy is more reliable, and the situation of detection distortion will not occur, ensuring the safety of the user's driving.

[0020] At the same time, as described in the background art, the existing road feel motor is an inner rotor motor. Since the radial dimension of its inner rotor (i.e., the rotating shaft) is small, it is only suitable for arranging a magnetic sensor (i.e., a TMR sensor), so it is impossible to arrange a corner displacement sensor adopting the eddy current principle with certain radial requirements. The present invention creatively uses the combination of an outer rotor motor and a corner displacement sensor, so that the steer-by-wire system of the present invention is more accurate and reliable in detecting the steering angle of the steering wheel compared with the prior art.

[0021] Furthermore, by providing a threaded structure on the outer rotor, providing a limiting seat fixedly connected or integrally formed with the inner stator, providing a first sliding structure on the limiting seat, configuring a cursor block with a threaded engagement structure and a second sliding structure, and engaging the cursor block with the threaded structure on the outer rotor through the threaded engagement structure and slidingly connecting the cursor block to the first sliding structure on the limiting seat through the second sliding structure, the cursor block can linearly move along the extension direction of the first sliding structure when the outer rotor rotates, thereby converting the rotational displacement of the outer rotor into a linear displacement. By configuring a linear displacement sensor for detecting the linear displacement of the cursor block, when there are periodic changes in the signal output by the angular displacement sensor, the present invention can still determine the displacement of the cursor block through the linear displacement sensor, then based on this displacement and the signal period where the signal detected by the angular displacement sensor is currently located, and finally determine the absolute value of the steering wheel angle according to this signal period and the signal magnitude. Therefore, the present invention can also accurately detect the absolute value of the steering wheel angle.

[0022] Alternatively, when there are periodic changes in the signal output by the angular displacement sensor, it is also possible to determine the signal period where the signal detected by the angular displacement sensor is currently located by counting the number of signal periods of the angular displacement sensor, and determine whether the steering wheel turns left or right according to the change trend of the angular displacement sensor signal, thereby determining the absolute value of the steering wheel angle.

[0023] Other beneficial effects of the present invention will be described in detail in combination with the accompanying drawings hereinafter, so that those skilled in the art can more clearly understand the improvement objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, some embodiments of the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that the components or parts denoted by the same reference numerals in different drawings are the same or similar; the drawings of the present invention are not necessarily drawn to scale with each other. In the drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 is the first exploded view of the steer-by-wire system in some embodiments of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 is the second exploded view of the steer-by-wire system in some embodiments of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 is the first axonometric view of the steer-by-wire system in some embodiments of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 is the second axonometric view of the steer-by-wire system in some embodiments of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 5 is Figures 1 to 4 The isometric view of the outer rotor of the middle force feedback motor;

[0030] Figure 6 is Figure 1 and Figure 2 The first isometric view of the cursor block in the middle;

[0031] Figure 7 is Figure 1 and Figure 2 The second isometric view of the cursor block in the middle;

[0032] Figure 8 is Figures 1 to 4 The first isometric view of the limit seat in the middle;

[0033] Figure 9 is Figures 1 to 4 The first isometric view of the limit seat in the middle;

[0034] Figure 10 is Figure 9 The plan view of the limit seat in the middle along the A direction;

[0035] Figure 11 is Figures 1 to 4 The first isometric view of the motor fixing part in the middle;

[0036] Figure 12 is Figures 1 to 4 The second isometric view of the motor fixing part in the middle;

[0037] Figure 13 is Figure 1 and Figure 2 The first structural decomposition diagram of the sensor integration module in the middle;

[0038] Figure 14 is Figure 1 and Figure 2 The second structural decomposition diagram of the sensor integration module in the middle;

[0039] Figure 15 is Figure 13 and Figure 14 The first isometric view of the angular displacement sensor and the linear displacement sensor in the connected state in the middle;

[0040] Figure 16 is Figure 13 and Figure 14 The second isometric view of the angular displacement sensor and the linear displacement sensor in the connected state in the middle;

[0041] Figure 17 It is the signal data diagram output by the angular displacement sensor and the linear displacement sensor in some embodiments of the present invention. Detailed implementation manners

[0042] Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments described below are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments of the present invention. This part of the embodiments is intended to explain the technical principles of the present invention and is not intended to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Based on the embodiments provided by the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts should still fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0043] It should be noted that in the description of the present invention, the terms indicating directions or positional relationships such as "center", "upper", "lower", "top", "bottom", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc. are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings. This is only for convenience of description and does not indicate or imply that the device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus cannot be understood as a limitation of the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0044] Furthermore, it should be noted that in the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "mounted", "connected", "connected to" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can also be the communication inside two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific situations. For example, the terms "mounted", "connected", "connected to" and "fixed", without special description, can specifically be any feasible connection forms such as bolt connection, screw connection, welding, plug connection, riveting, fusion welding, snap connection, etc.

[0045] As Figures 1 to 4 shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the steer-by-wire system for an automobile includes a force feedback motor 100 and an angular displacement sensor 510.

[0046] Among them, the force feedback motor 100 includes an inner stator 110 and an outer rotor 120. The inner stator 110 is used to connect to the vehicle body of the automobile; the outer rotor 120 is used to connect to the steering wheel to rotate following the steering wheel.

[0047] Among them, the angular displacement sensor 510 is fixedly connected to the inner stator 110 and detects the rotation angle of the outer rotor 120 through the eddy current principle.

[0048] Those skilled in the art should be aware that sensors using the eddy current principle have the characteristics of good reliability, high sensitivity, strong anti-interference ability, non-contact measurement, fast response speed, and being unaffected by media such as oil and water (this is common general knowledge in the art). Therefore, in the present invention, the angular displacement sensor 510 fixedly connected to the inner stator 110 detects the rotation angle of the outer rotor 120 through the eddy current principle, achieving accurate detection of the steering angle of the steering wheel, and the detection result is more reliable. At the same time, the angular displacement sensor 510 of the present invention does not require a magnet and has a lower cost.

[0049] Furthermore, the present invention creatively adopts the force feedback motor 100 with the outer rotor 120, enabling the present invention to use the angular displacement sensor 510 to detect the rotation angle of the rotor of the force feedback motor 100. Compared with the prior art solution that is limited by the radial dimension of the inner rotor of the road feel motor and can only use magnetic sensors that are easily affected by external electromagnetic interference, the present invention makes the detection of the steering angle of the steering wheel more accurate and reliable through the creative combination of the force feedback motor 100 with the outer rotor 120 and the angular displacement sensor 510.

[0050] Next, with reference to the accompanying drawings, some embodiments of the steer-by-wire system for an automobile in the present invention will be further described in detail. It should be noted that in the drawings of the present invention, X represents the direction, which is intended to facilitate those skilled in the art to understand the drawings.

[0051] Continue to refer to Figures 1 to 4 , in some embodiments of the present invention, the steer-by-wire system for an automobile further includes a motor fixing member 200, a limit seat 300, and a cursor block 400. The motor fixing member 200 is fixedly connected to or integrally formed with the inner stator 110. The motor fixing member 200 is used to connect to the body of the automobile to fix the inner stator 110 to the body. And, a threaded structure 121 is provided on the outer rotor 120.

[0052] Furthermore, the limit seat 300 is fixedly connected to or integrally formed with the motor fixing member 200. And, the limit seat 300 is disposed outside the outer rotor 120 and is fixedly connected to or integrally formed with the inner stator 110. A first sliding structure 310 is provided on the limit seat 300. The cursor block 400 is provided with a threaded mating structure 410 that engages with the threaded structure 121 and a second sliding structure 420 that slidably connects with the first sliding structure 310, so that the cursor block 400 linearly moves along the extension direction of the first sliding structure 310 when the outer rotor 120 rotates.

[0053] In addition, in other embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art can also, as needed, omit the setting of the motor fixing member 200, and fixedly connect or integrally form the inner stator 110 and the limit seat 300, and directly fix the inner stator 110 to the vehicle body of the automobile. For example, the inner stator 110 is fixed to structures such as a column, a boss, and a groove fixedly connected to the vehicle body of the automobile by bolts / screws.

[0054] As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the steer-by-wire system for an automobile further includes a sensor integration module 500, and the sensor integration module 500 includes the angular displacement sensor 510 and the linear displacement sensor 520 described above. Among them, the linear displacement sensor 520 is used to detect the linear displacement of the cursor block 400 to determine the signal period in which the signal output by the angular displacement sensor 510 is currently located according to the detected linear displacement of the cursor block 400 when there is a periodic change in the signal output by the angular displacement sensor 510 (as Figure 17 shown). This will be described in detail later.

[0055] In some embodiments of the present invention, the force feedback motor 100 can provide a torque opposite to the rotation direction of the steering wheel when the user rotates the steering wheel; it can also provide a road feel information torque to the steering wheel. Since the above applications of the force feedback motor 100 are prior art, they will not be elaborated here.

[0056] As Figures 1 to 4 shown, as described above, in some embodiments of the present invention, the force feedback motor 100 includes an inner stator 110 and an outer rotor 120. According to the common general knowledge in the art, those skilled in the art should understand that the outer rotor 120 can rotate relative to the inner stator 110, and the outer rotor 120 can be fixedly connected to the inner stator 110 in the axial direction.

[0057] As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the inner stator 110 is provided with an annular outer shoulder 111 and an electric wire 112.

[0058] As Figure 5 shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the inner side of the outer rotor 120 is provided with an inner shoulder 123 and a card slot 124.

[0059] Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the force feedback motor 100 further includes a snap ring 130 embedded in the card slot 124 of the outer rotor 120. Those skilled in the art can understand based on this that in the assembled state of the force feedback motor 100, the inner stator 110 is located inside the outer rotor 120, and the outer shoulder 111 on the inner stator 110 is axially located between the inner shoulder 123 and the card slot 124, so that the inner shoulder 123 and the snap ring 130 limit the axial displacement of the outer shoulder 111, thereby realizing the axial fixation between the outer rotor 120 and the inner stator 110.

[0060] It should be noted that on the premise of achieving the purpose of the present invention, the specific form of the force feedback motor 100 is not limited to the form described in the drawings and the foregoing. Those skilled in the art can also select a suitable force feedback motor 100 according to needs.

[0061] As Figures 5 to 7 shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the thread structure 121 on the outer rotor 120 is an internal thread, and the thread mating structure 410 on the cursor block 400 is an external thread. Alternatively, those skilled in the art can also set the thread mating structure 410 on the cursor block 400 as a convex structure such as a cylinder that fits with the internal thread according to needs.

[0062] In addition, in other embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art can also set the thread structure 121 on the outer rotor 120 as an external thread and the thread mating structure 410 on the cursor block 400 as an internal thread according to needs.

[0063] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the number of turns of the thread structure 121 around the axis of the outer rotor 120 can be any feasible number of turns, such as one turn, two turns, two and a half turns, three turns, etc.

[0064] From Figure 5 it can also be seen that in some embodiments of the present invention, the thread structure 121 is provided on the outer side of the peripheral wall of the outer rotor 120. In addition, those skilled in the art can also make the outer rotor 120 longer than the inner stator 110 according to needs, and set the thread structure 121 on the inner side of the peripheral wall of the outer rotor 120; and make appropriate adjustments to the positions and structures of the limit seat 300 and the cursor block 400.

[0065] Furthermore, the thread structure 121 and the thread mating structure 410 can be in clearance fit to ensure that the two can slide relative to each other smoothly.

[0066] Continue to refer to Figures 5 to 7, in some embodiments of the present invention, limiting bosses 122 are respectively provided at both ends of the outer rotor 120 in the extending direction of the threaded structure 121, and limiting pins 430 are respectively provided at both ends of the cursor block 400 corresponding to the extending direction of the threaded structure 121, so that the cursor block 400 abuts against the limiting bosses 122 through the limiting pins 430 to prevent the threaded engagement structure 410 on the cursor block 400 from disengaging from the threaded structure 121 on the outer rotor 120. Wherein, the specific structures of the limiting bosses 122 and the limiting pins 430 may be the same as or different from the structures shown in the drawings.

[0067] Further, as can be seen from Figure 6 and Figure 7 , the cursor block 400 is generally dumbbell-shaped with a thinner middle and thicker ends. In addition, those skilled in the art can also set the cursor block 400 into any other feasible shape according to needs, such as a long strip shape, a rectangular shape, a square shape, etc.

[0068] Such as Figures 1 to 4 and Figures 8 to 10 shown, the limiting seat 300 is provided with a mounting hole 301 for fixing it to the motor fixing member 200, a linear fixing hole 302 for fixing the linear displacement sensor 520, and a damping hole 303 for installing a damping screw. The damping screw abuts against the outer rotor 120 to provide a rotational resistance (frictional force) to the outer rotor 120 when the outer rotor 120 rotates.

[0069] Such as Figure 9 and Figure 10 shown, a sinking groove 304 for accommodating the cursor block 400 is provided on one side of the limiting seat 300 facing the outer rotor 120, and first sliding structures 310 are respectively provided on two opposite side walls of the sinking groove 304.

[0070] As can be seen from Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 9 , the first sliding structure 310 on the limiting seat 300 is a chute formed on the inner side of the side wall, and the second sliding structure 420 on the cursor block 400 is a protrusion provided at the end of the cursor block 400. In addition, those skilled in the art can also set the first sliding structure 310 as a strip-shaped protrusion and the second sliding structure 420 as a chute according to needs.

[0071] Further, in some embodiments of the present invention, the extending direction of the first sliding structure 310 is parallel to the rotation axis of the outer rotor 120 of the force feedback motor 100. Or, those skilled in the art can also make the extending direction of the first sliding structure 310 have an included angle (such as 1°, 3°, 5°, 15°, etc.) with the rotation axis of the outer rotor 120 of the force feedback motor 100 according to needs.

[0072] Continue to refer to Figure 9 and Figure 10 , on one side of the limit seat 300 facing the outer rotor 120, a placement groove 305 is provided. The placement groove 305 is located at one end of the sunk groove 304, so that the cursor block 400 can be placed into the limit seat 300 from the placement groove 305 and slide into the sunk groove 304. The placement groove 305 is also located outside the threaded structure 121 in the axial direction of the outer rotor 120 to prevent the cursor block 400 from sliding out of the sunk groove 304 when the steer-by-wire system is in the assembled state.

[0073] Continue to refer to Figure 9 and Figure 10 , on the bottom wall of the sunk groove 304 of the limit seat 300, a sensor accommodation groove 306 is provided. The sensor accommodation groove 306 is used to accommodate the linear displacement sensor 520 to fix the linear displacement sensor 520 to the limit seat 300 and prevent the linear displacement sensor 520 from interfering with the cursor block 400. And, the linear fixing hole 302 is located in the sensor accommodation groove 306.

[0074] Continue to refer to Figure 9 and Figure 10 , on one side of the limit seat 300 facing the outer rotor 120, a positioning hole 307 is further provided to position the limit seat 300 onto the motor fixing member 200 through the positioning hole 307.

[0075] As can be seen from Figures 1 to 4 , in some embodiments of the present invention, the motor fixing member 200 is a pipe column. Of course, those skilled in the art can also, according to needs, set the motor fixing member 200 to any other feasible component, such as fixing seats in the shapes of rectangular blocks, plates, L-shapes, T-shapes, etc.

[0076] As Figure 11 and Figure 12 shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, at one end of the pipe column close to the inner stator 110, an axial fixing portion 210 having an axial hole 211 and a radial fixing portion 220 having a radial hole 221 are provided. The axial fixing portion 210 is fixedly connected to the inner stator 110 through the axial hole 211 by means of bolts / screws, and the radial fixing portion 220 is fixedly connected to the limit seat 300 through the radial hole 221 by means of bolts / screws.

[0077] Correspondingly, as Figure 2 shown, on one side of the inner stator 110 of the force feedback motor 100 facing the motor fixing member 200, a plurality of motor fixing holes 113 are provided. Optionally, the motor fixing holes 113 are threaded holes, and the axial holes 211 are through holes, so that after the bolts 800 pass through the axial holes 211, they are tightened with the motor fixing holes 113, thereby fixing the inner stator 110 and the axial fixing portion 210 together.

[0078] Further, the radial hole 221 on the radial fixing portion 220 is a threaded hole, and the mounting hole 301 on the stop seat 300 is a through hole, so that the bolt 800 passes through the mounting hole 301 and is tightened with the radial hole 221, thereby fastening the stop seat 300 to the radial fixing portion 220. The radial holes 221 and the mounting holes 301 can be four, respectively, as shown in the figure, or any other feasible number.

[0079] like Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, a positioning column 222 corresponding to the positioning hole 307 on the limit seat 300 is also provided on the radial fixing portion 220, so that when the limit seat 300 is fixed to the motor fixing part 200, the positioning column 222 is first inserted into the positioning hole 307, thereby realizing the positioning between the limit seat 300 and the motor fixing part 200, and thus aligning the mounting hole 301 on the limit seat 300 with the radial hole 221 on the radial fixing portion 220, thereby facilitating the staff to install the bolts.

[0080] Continue reading Figure 11 and Figure 12 In some embodiments of the present invention, a corner fixing hole 212 is further provided on the side of the axial fixing portion 210 facing the force feedback motor 100, and a hollow column 213 is further provided on the side of the axial fixing portion 210 facing away from the force feedback motor 100, so as to fix the sensor integrated module 500 by means of bolts / screws through the corner fixing hole 212 and the hollow column 213. A positioning ring 230 is further provided on the side of the axial fixing portion 210 facing the force feedback motor 100, so as to position the installation of the sensor integrated module 500 through the positioning ring 230.

[0081] like Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the sensor integration module 500 includes an angular displacement sensor 510 (same as described above), a linear displacement sensor 520 , a housing 530 and a connector 540 .

[0082] The angular displacement sensor 510 and the linear displacement sensor 520 are electrically connected and are both eddy current sensors. In addition, those skilled in the art may also set the linear displacement sensor 520 to any other feasible sensor, such as a photoelectric sensor, a capacitive sensor, etc., as required.

[0083] The housing 530 includes a first mounting portion 531 for mounting the rotational displacement sensor 510 and a second mounting portion 532 for mounting the linear displacement sensor 520. In addition, the housing 530 is an integrally formed component, or an integral component having a certain structural strength formed by welding, screw connection, riveting, etc.

[0084] Among them, the plug-in connector 540 is electrically connected to the rotational displacement sensor 510 or the linear displacement sensor 520 to output the signals of the rotational displacement sensor 510 and the linear displacement sensor 520.

[0085] From Figure 13 and Figure 14 It can be seen that in some embodiments of the present invention, the first mounting portion 531 is generally in a flat annular shape and is larger than the positioning ring 230 on the motor fixing member 200. The second mounting portion 532 is generally in a flat strip shape and is adapted to the sensor receiving groove 306 on the limit seat 300. In addition, those skilled in the art can also set the first mounting portion 531 and the second mounting portion 532 into any other feasible structures according to needs, for example, setting the first mounting portion 531 as a solid circle.

[0086] It should be noted that in the present invention, the annular shape refers to a hollow and closed shape around, which is not limited to a circular ring shape, but can also be an elliptical ring shape, a rectangular ring shape, a figure-eight shape, etc.

[0087] Continuing to refer to Figures 13 to 16 , a first mounting groove 5311 for mounting the rotational displacement sensor 510 is provided on the first mounting portion 531, and a second mounting groove 5321 for mounting the rotational displacement sensor 510 is provided on the second mounting portion 532. And, the first mounting portion 531 is provided with an avoidance hole 5312 on the bottom wall of the first mounting groove 5311, and the plug-in connector 540 is electrically connected to the rotational displacement sensor 510 and penetrates through the avoidance hole 5312.

[0088] Furthermore, the first mounting portion 531 can be perpendicular to the second mounting portion 532 to facilitate the processing, manufacturing and assembly of the housing 530 and the components related to the housing 530.

[0089] Furthermore, the second mounting portion 532 can be located at one end in the radial direction of the first mounting portion 531 to facilitate the manufacturing and demolding of the housing 530.

[0090] Furthermore, the second mounting portion 532 can include a first side portion 532a located on one side of the first mounting portion 531 and a second side portion 532b located on the other side of the first mounting portion 531. The length of the first side portion 532a is greater than the length of the second side portion 532b. While accommodating the linear displacement sensor 520, the joint of the second mounting portion 532 and the first mounting portion 531 is in a T shape, thereby increasing the structural strength at this place.

[0091] Continuing to refer to Figure 13 and Figure 14At least one countersunk hole 5313 is provided at a position of the first mounting portion 531 close to the second mounting portion 532, and the opening direction of the countersunk hole 5313 is the same as the depth direction of the first mounting groove 5311. A first fixing column 5314 is provided on the side of the first mounting portion 531 away from the opening of the first mounting groove 5311, and the first fixing column 5314 is provided with a threaded hole, so that the first mounting portion 531 is fixed through the countersunk hole 5313 and the first fixing column 5314.

[0092] Among them, the countersunk hole 5313 corresponds to the corner fixing hole 212 on the motor fixing part 200, and the first fixing column 5314 corresponds to the hollow column 213 on the motor fixing part 200, so that the two corresponding structures are connected together by bolts 800, thereby fixing the first mounting part 531 to the motor fixing part 200.

[0093] Continue reading Figure 13 and Figure 14 Second fixing columns 5322 are respectively provided on both sides of the second mounting portion 532 in the width direction, and the second fixing columns 5322 are provided with threaded holes so that the second mounting portion 532 can be fixed by the second fixing columns 5322 .

[0094] The second fixing column 5322 corresponds to the linear fixing hole 302 on the limiting seat 300 , and the two are connected together by a bolt 800 , thereby fixing the second mounting portion 532 to the limiting seat 300 .

[0095] Continue reading Figure 13 and Figure 14 The sensor integrated module 500 further includes a first cover plate 551 and a second cover plate 552 . The first cover plate 551 is mounted on the first mounting portion 531 to shield the first mounting groove 5311 ; the second cover plate 552 is mounted on the second mounting portion 532 to shield the second mounting groove 5321 .

[0096] The first cover plate 551 and the second cover plate 552 can be installed together with the housing 530 in any feasible manner, such as snap connection, bonding, screw connection, welding, etc.

[0097] like Figures 13 to 16 As shown, the sensor integrated module 500 also includes a plurality of PIN pins 560, so that the angular displacement sensor 510 and the linear displacement sensor 520 are electrically connected together through the plurality of PIN pins 560, so that the linear displacement sensor 520 sends its detected signal to the angular displacement sensor 510 through the PIN pins 560, and then outputs it through the connector 540 electrically connected to the angular displacement sensor 510.

[0098] Among them, the PIN pin 560 is a metal material used to conduct electricity (transfer signals) in the connector. It is a well-known existing component to those skilled in the art, so the present invention will not elaborate further on it.

[0099] Referring back to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , in some embodiments of the present invention, the steer-by-wire system may further include a signal line 700 plugged into the connector 540 to transmit the signal output by the connector 540 to a signal processing unit, module or device through the signal line 700.

[0100] As can be seen from Figures 13 to 16 , in some embodiments of the present invention, both the angular displacement sensor 510 and the linear displacement sensor 520 are in the form of circuit boards, on which components such as excitation coils and receiving coils are printed to perform detection through the eddy current principle. Since the principle of detecting the object to be detected by using the eddy current principle and the corresponding sensors are well-known prior arts to those skilled in the art, no further elaboration will be made here.

[0101] Referring back to Figure 2 and Figure 5 , in some embodiments of the present invention, the steer-by-wire system further includes a component to be measured 600, which is fixedly connected to the outer rotor 120. The component to be measured 600 is configured to be detectable by the angular displacement sensor 510, so that the angular displacement sensor 510 determines the rotation angle of the outer rotor 120 by detecting the component to be measured 600.

[0102] Further, a through hole to be measured 601 is provided on the component to be measured 600, and a fixed hole to be measured 1201 corresponding to the through hole to be measured 601 is provided at one end of the outer rotor 120 facing the component to be measured 600 (as shown in Figure 2 and Figure 5 ). The fixed hole to be measured 1201 is a threaded hole, so that after a bolt 800 passes through the through hole to be measured 601, it is tightened with the threaded hole, thereby fixing the component to be measured 600 to the outer rotor 120.

[0103] Further, a receiving groove for accommodating the component to be measured 600 is further provided at one end of the outer rotor 120 facing the component to be measured 600 to protect the component to be measured 600 and prevent the component to be measured 600 from being knocked during transportation and use.

[0104] In addition, those skilled in the art can also, according to needs, integrally form the component to be measured 600 with the outer rotor 120; or, omit the setting of the component to be measured 600 and provide the above-mentioned inner convex teeth 610 structure on the outer rotor 120.

[0105] As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the component 600 to be measured is arranged in a ring shape and is provided with a plurality of inner convex teeth 610 protruding towards its inner side. The sensing part of the angular displacement sensor 510 (the part having the exciting coil and the receiving coil) is arranged in a ring shape corresponding to the plurality of inner convex teeth 610 (as described above), so that the angular displacement sensor 510 determines the rotation angle of the outer rotor 120 by sensing the plurality of inner convex teeth 610.

[0106] Optionally, the component 600 to be measured includes five inner convex teeth 610, so that the angular displacement sensor 510 outputs five signal cycles when the steering wheel rotates one circle. Alternatively, those skilled in the art can also make the component 600 to be measured include other numbers of inner convex teeth 610 according to needs, such as three, six, seven, eight, etc.

[0107] Furthermore, in the present invention, both the component 600 to be measured and the cursor block 400 are made of metal materials such as 40Cr and 304 that can affect the magnetic field.

[0108] Furthermore, although not shown in the figure, the present invention also provides an automobile, including the steer-by-wire system described in any of the previous embodiments. And, the outer rotor 120 of the force feedback motor 100 is drivingly connected to the steering wheel of the automobile, so that the outer rotor 120 of the force feedback motor 100 rotates synchronously with the steering wheel. For example, the outer rotor 120 of the force feedback motor 100 is fixedly connected to the steering shaft of the steering wheel.

[0109] As Figure 3 shown, a plurality of connection holes (not marked in the figure) are provided at one end of the outer rotor 120 of the force feedback motor 100 away from the motor fixing member 200, and the outer rotor 120 is fixedly connected to the steering shaft of the steering wheel through these connection holes and by means of bolts 800.

[0110] Furthermore, the motor fixing member 200 can be directly fixed to the body of the automobile, or can be fixedly connected to other columns fixed to the body.

[0111] Next, with reference to Figures 1 to 4 to briefly explain the working principle of the steer-by-wire system in the present invention.

[0112] When the driver turns the steering wheel, the outer rotor 120 rotates with the steering wheel. Since the cursor block 400 can only move axially along the outer rotor 120 under the restriction of the limit seat 300, the thread structure 121 on the outer rotor 120 will force the cursor block 400 to move axially along the outer rotor 120 with its thread engagement structure 410. When the cursor block 400 abuts against the limit boss 122 on the outer rotor 120, the steering wheel cannot continue to rotate.

[0113] During this process, the angular displacement sensor 510 detects the angular displacement of the outer rotor 120 by detecting the angular displacement of the component 600 to be measured, and its output signal may have periodic variations. The linear displacement sensor 520 detects the angular displacement of the outer rotor 120 by detecting the linear displacement of the cursor block 400, and its output signal has no periodic variations.

[0114] Then, the vehicle controls the operation of the steering motor according to the data detected by the angular displacement sensor 510 and / or the linear displacement sensor 520, thereby changing the steering of the vehicle's front wheels.

[0115] In the present invention, the vehicle and its steer-by-wire system can detect the steering angle of the steering wheel only through the angular displacement sensor 510, or can detect the steering angle of the steering wheel through both the angular displacement sensor 510 and the linear displacement sensor 520.

[0116] When it is only necessary to detect the steering angle of the steering wheel through the angular displacement sensor 510, those skilled in the art can, as needed, omit the setting of the linear displacement sensor 520 and its related components (such as the limit seat 300 and the cursor block 400). Moreover, those skilled in the art can also, as needed, only retain the necessary components such as the angular displacement sensor 510 and the plug-in 540 in the sensor integration module 500, and directly fix the angular displacement sensor 510 to the inner stator 110 of the force feedback motor 100 or the motor fixing member 200.

[0117] The following will refer to Figure 17 to elaborate in detail on the output signals of the above two methods for detecting the steering angle of the steering wheel in the present invention.

[0118] In Figure 17 , the periodic wavy line is the signal output by the angular displacement sensor 510, the inclined straight line represents the signal output by the linear displacement sensor 520, 0 in the abscissa represents the angle when the steering wheel is in the position for the vehicle to move forward, -360 and 360 are the angles of the steering wheel turning left / right actually, and the ordinate represents the percentage of the actual moving displacement of the cursor block 400 in the actual maximum moving displacement.

[0119] From Figure 17 , it can be seen that there is a corresponding relationship between the linear displacement signal of the cursor block 400 output by the linear displacement sensor 520 and all the signal periods output by the angular displacement sensor 510. That is to say, each signal period output by the angular displacement sensor 510 respectively corresponds to a unique set of signals output by the linear displacement sensor 520. Therefore, the present invention enables those skilled in the art to determine the signal period in which the signal detected by the angular displacement sensor 510 is currently located according to the signal output by the linear displacement sensor 520.

[0120] Among them, -360 and 360 on the abscissa can be determined according to the actual number of turns of the steering wheel. For the convenience of description, the present invention only shows the situation when the steering wheel turns one circle to the left / right. For example, in actual applications, the steering wheel can be turned one and a half circles to the left and right respectively, so that the angles at the leftmost and rightmost ends of the abscissa are -540 and 540 respectively.

[0121] As Figure 17 shown, when detecting the steering angle of the steering wheel through the angular displacement sensor 510, its signal is a periodic signal due to the number of inner convex teeth 610 on the measured component 600 and the number of turns of the steering wheel. At this time, with the help of the linear displacement sensor 520, the signal period where the signal detected by the angular displacement sensor 510 is currently located can be determined.

[0122] The first method: Refer to Figure 17 , when it is necessary to detect the steering angle of the steering wheel through both the angular displacement sensor 510 and the linear displacement sensor 520 at the same time, first determine the displacement of the cursor block 400 moving through the linear displacement sensor 520 (such as Figure 17 the horizontal dotted line in Figure 17 ), then determine the numerical range corresponding to the steering angle of the steering wheel according to this displacement (such as Figure 17 between 72° and 144° in

[0123] ), and then determine the signal period where the signal detected by the angular displacement sensor 510 is currently located according to the determined numerical range (such as Figure 17 the signal period corresponding to 72° to 144° in

[0124] ), and finally determine the absolute value of the steering angle of the steering wheel according to this signal period and the signal magnitude.

[0125] So far, the technical solutions of the present invention have been described in combination with multiple embodiments of the foregoing text. However, it is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the technical principle of the present invention, those skilled in the art can split and combine the technical solutions in the above-mentioned various embodiments, and can also make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features. Any changes, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the technical concept and / or technical principle of the present invention will fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A steer-by-wire system for a vehicle, comprising: A force feedback motor, including an inner stator and an outer rotor, wherein the inner stator is configured to be connected to the vehicle body; The outer rotor is configured to be connected to the steering wheel to rotate following the steering wheel; An angular displacement sensor, fixedly connected to the inner stator, and configured to detect the rotation angle of the outer rotor through the eddy current principle.

2. The steer-by-wire system according to claim 1, further comprising a measured component, wherein the measured component is fixedly connected to or integrally formed with the outer rotor, and the measured component is configured to be detectable by the angular displacement sensor, so that the angular displacement sensor determines the rotation angle of the outer rotor by detecting the measured component.

3. The steer-by-wire system according to claim 2, wherein The measured component is provided as a ring and is provided with a plurality of inner convex teeth protruding towards its inner side; The sensing part of the angular displacement sensor is provided as a ring corresponding to the plurality of inner convex teeth, so that the angular displacement sensor determines the rotation angle of the outer rotor by sensing the plurality of inner convex teeth.

4. The steer-by-wire system according to claim 3, wherein The measured component is fixed to one end of the outer rotor close to the angular displacement sensor by bolts / screws; and / or, The measured component includes five of the inner convex teeth.

5. The steer-by-wire system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein A threaded structure is provided on the outer side of the peripheral wall of the outer rotor; The steer-by-wire system further comprises a limit seat, a cursor block and a linear displacement sensor, The limit seat is arranged outside the outer rotor and is fixedly connected to or integrally formed with the inner stator, and a first sliding structure is provided on the limit seat; The cursor block is provided with a threaded mating structure engaged with the threaded structure and a second sliding structure slidably connected to the first sliding structure, so that the cursor block linearly moves along the extension direction of the first sliding structure when the outer rotor rotates; The linear displacement sensor is configured to detect the linear displacement of the cursor block to determine the current signal period of the angular displacement sensor, and further determine the absolute rotation angle of the outer rotor according to the current signal period.

6. The steer-by-wire system according to claim 5, further comprising a motor fixing member, The motor fixing member is fixedly connected to or integrally formed with the inner stator, and the motor fixing member is configured to be connected to the vehicle body to fix the inner stator to the vehicle body; The motor fixing member is fixedly connected to or integrally formed with the limit seat.

7. The steer-by-wire system according to claim 6, wherein The motor fixing member is a tube column, and one end of the tube column close to the inner stator is provided with an axial fixing part having an axial hole and a radial fixing part having a radial hole. The axial fixing part is fixedly connected to the inner stator through the axial hole by means of bolts / screws, and the radial fixing part is fixedly connected to the limit seat through the radial hole by means of bolts / screws.

8. The steer-by-wire system according to claim 7 further includes a housing for accommodating the angular displacement sensor and the linear displacement sensor. The housing includes a first mounting portion for mounting the angular displacement sensor and a second mounting portion for mounting the linear displacement sensor; The first mounting portion is fixedly connected to the axial fixing portion of the column, and the second mounting portion is fixedly connected to the limit seat.

9. The steer-by-wire system according to claim 8, wherein, A counterbore with an opening facing the column is provided on the first mounting portion, and a first fixing post is provided on a side of the first mounting portion close to the column. The first fixing post is provided with a threaded hole; an angular fixing hole corresponding to the counterbore and the first fixing post respectively is provided on the axial fixing portion, so as to fix the first mounting portion to the axial fixing portion through the counterbore, the first fixing post and the angular fixing hole; and / or, A second fixing post is provided on the second mounting portion, and the second fixing post is provided with a threaded hole; a linear fixing hole is provided on the limit seat, so as to fix the second mounting portion to the limit seat through the second fixing post and the linear fixing hole.

10. An automobile, comprising the steer-by-wire system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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