Active steering twist beam rear axle and vehicle comprising same
By designing an active steering torsion beam rear axle, the independent steering of the wheels is achieved using a steering motor and linkage mechanism, which solves the stability problem of the torsion beam rear axle under braking and steering conditions, and improves the vehicle's dynamic performance and braking safety.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202610725807.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2026-05-25
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-19
AI Technical Summary
Existing torsion beam rear axles have insufficient motion characteristics under braking and steering conditions, resulting in poor vehicle dynamic stability, and lack solutions compatible with active steering technology.
Design an active steering torsion beam rear axle. By integrating the steering motor with the trailing arm, the rotational motion of the motor is converted into linear motion using the steering swing arm and steering push rod, enabling independent steering of the wheel bracket. The torsion beam structure is formed by combining the crossbeam and spring disc.
Active steering of the torsion beam rear axle was achieved, which improved the vehicle's dynamic performance, reduced manufacturing costs, saved chassis layout space, and improved braking stability and high-speed steering stability.
Smart Images
Figure CN122232718A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of automotive torsion beams, and particularly to an active steering torsion beam rear axle and a vehicle including the same. Background Technology
[0002] In existing technologies, torsion beam rear axles have been widely used in passenger vehicles due to their significant advantages such as simplified structure and small footprint. However, this type of suspension also reveals inherent dynamic defects during dynamic driving, mainly reflected in the motion characteristics under braking and steering conditions.
[0003] First, such as Figure 1 As shown, under vehicle braking conditions, the kinematic characteristics of the torsion beam rear axle lead to a decrease in the wheel toe angle. This geometric change causes the rear wheels to tend to flare outward (i.e., "flare-out" characteristic), thereby weakening the tracking ability of the rear axle and directly affecting the dynamic stability of the vehicle during braking.
[0004] Secondly, such as Figure 2 As shown, under vehicle steering conditions, the toe angle change of the rear axle caused by the lateral force is opposite to the steering angle of the front suspension. This reverse geometric interference causes the vehicle to exhibit an oversteer tendency, greatly increasing the difficulty for the driver to control the vehicle and negatively impacting vehicle stability in corners.
[0005] Furthermore, looking at the current chassis technology market, existing active rear-wheel steering systems are all developed based on multi-link suspensions, which are structurally complex, require a large amount of space, and are expensive. Currently, there is a lack of torsion beam rear axle solutions on the market that are compatible with active steering technology.
[0006] In view of this, the inventors of this application have designed an active steering torsion beam rear axle and a vehicle including the same, in order to overcome the above-mentioned technical problems. Summary of the Invention
[0007] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the defects of poor braking stability and poor driving stability of vehicles in curves in the prior art, and to provide an active steering torsion beam rear axle and a vehicle including the therein.
[0008] The present invention solves the above-mentioned technical problems through the following technical solution: An active steering torsion beam rear axle, characterized in that the active steering torsion beam rear axle comprises: The trailing arm and the trailing arm bracket, wherein the trailing arm bracket is integrated with the steering motor and is mounted to one end of the trailing arm; A wheel bracket, wherein the upper and lower ends of the wheel bracket are respectively rotatably connected to the longitudinal arm bracket, and the rotatable connection forms a main pin axis; The steering push rod and the steering swing arm are provided. One end of the steering swing arm is connected to the output shaft of the steering motor, and the other end is rotatably connected to the first end of the steering push rod. The second end of the steering push rod is rotatably connected to the wheel bracket. The steering arm and the steering push rod convert the rotational motion of the steering motor into linear motion, driving the wheel bracket to rotate around the kingpin axis, thereby achieving independent steering of the wheel bracket.
[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the trailing arm support adopts the housing of the steering motor and reduction mechanism assembly.
[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a torsion beam rear axle body mounting bushing is provided at the other end of the trailing arm for connecting the vehicle body.
[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the upper and lower ends of the wheel bracket are respectively provided with a rotating mechanism, which is rotatably connected to the longitudinal arm bracket.
[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the upper and lower ends of the wheel bracket are respectively provided with outwardly extending first connecting arms, and the upper and lower ends of the longitudinal arm bracket are respectively provided with outwardly extending second connecting arms, and the first connecting arms and the second connecting arms are rotatably connected by the rotating mechanism.
[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the rotating mechanism is a ball joint or a bearing.
[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the lower part of the wheel bracket is further provided with an outwardly extending third connecting arm, and the third connecting arm and the steering swing arm are respectively connected to the first end and the second end of the steering push rod through a hinge.
[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the hinge is a bushing or a ball joint.
[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the active steering torsion beam rear axle further includes a crossbeam and a spring disc, the two ends of the crossbeam being connected to the corresponding longitudinal arms, and the spring disc being installed at the connection between the crossbeam and the longitudinal arms.
[0017] The present invention also provides a vehicle characterized in that the vehicle includes an active steering torsion beam rear axle as described above.
[0018] The positive and progressive effects of this invention are as follows: This invention relates to an active steering torsion beam rear axle and a vehicle including the same, enabling the torsion beam rear axle to achieve active steering under the drive of a motor, achieving a high degree of structural concentration and effectively saving chassis layout space. The active steering torsion beam rear axle can realize active safety control and comprehensively improve vehicle dynamic performance. Attached Figure Description
[0019] The above and other features, properties and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments, in which the same reference numerals always denote the same features, wherein: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the toe-out extension of the rear axle during braking in the prior art.
[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of oversteer during steering in a torsion beam rear axle in the prior art.
[0021] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the active steering torsion beam rear axle of the present invention.
[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the active steering principle of the active steering torsion beam rear axle of the present invention.
[0023] [Attached image labels]
[0024] Longitudinal arm 10
[0025] Longitudinal arm support 20
[0026] Wheel bracket 30
[0027] Steering push rod 40
[0028] Steering arm 50
[0029] Rotating mechanism 60
[0030] Steering motor 21
[0031] First connecting arm 31
[0032] Second connecting arm 22
[0033] Kingpin A
[0034] The first end of the steering push rod 41
[0035] The second end of the steering push rod 42
[0036] Third connecting arm 32
[0037] Hinged joint 70
[0038] 80 crossbeam
[0039] Spring plate 81
[0040] Shock absorber bracket 82
[0041] Torsion beam rear axle body mounting bushing 11
[0042] Wheel 100 Detailed Implementation
[0043] The present invention will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. More details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can obviously be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein. Those skilled in the art can make similar extensions and derivations based on actual application situations without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should not be limited by the content of this specific embodiment.
[0044] Embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that these and subsequent drawings are merely illustrative and are not drawn to scale, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals will be used in all drawings to denote the same or similar parts.
[0045] Furthermore, although the terminology used in this invention is selected from commonly known and used terms, some terms mentioned in this specification may have been selected by the applicant in his or her judgment, and their detailed meanings are explained in the relevant sections of the description herein.
[0046] Furthermore, the invention should be understood not only through the actual terminology used, but also through the meaning implied by each term.
[0047] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, this invention discloses an active steering torsion beam rear axle, comprising: a trailing arm 10, a trailing arm bracket 20, a wheel bracket 30, a steering push rod 40, and a steering swing arm 50. The trailing arm bracket 20 is integrated with a steering motor 21 and mounted to one end of the trailing arm 10. For example, the trailing arm bracket 20 can preferably be the housing of the steering motor 21 and the reduction gear assembly, which is then connected to the trailing arm 10 by welding or bolting.
[0048] The upper and lower ends of the wheel bracket 30 are rotatably connected to the trailing arm bracket 20, and the rotatable connection forms the kingpin axis A. Here, the upper and lower ends of the wheel bracket 30 are respectively provided with a rotating mechanism 60, which is rotatably connected to the trailing arm bracket 20.
[0049] The top and bottom ends of the wheel bracket 30 are rotatably connected to the trailing arm bracket 20, and these two corresponding rotatable connection points together establish a virtual steering axis, namely the kingpin axis A. The kingpin axis A can serve as the core geometric reference for wheel steering, ensuring that the wheel can make precise deflection movements around it.
[0050] Preferably, to achieve the aforementioned rotatable connection function, dedicated rotatable mechanisms 60 (such as ball joint pins, hinge shafts, or bushings) are integrated at both the upper and lower ends of the wheel bracket 30. The wheel bracket 30 achieves dynamic hinged connection with the trailing arm bracket 20 through these rotatable mechanisms 60. This structural design not only effectively transmits the supporting and guiding force of the trailing arm bracket to the wheel, but also allows the wheel bracket to rotate flexibly and smoothly around the kingpin axis established by the line connecting the upper and lower rotatable mechanisms under steering drive, thereby accurately responding to the vehicle's steering commands.
[0051] For example, a first connecting arm 31 extending outward is provided at the upper and lower ends of the wheel bracket 30, and a second connecting arm 22 extending outward is provided at the upper and lower ends of the longitudinal arm bracket 20. The first connecting arm 31 and the second connecting arm 22 are rotatably connected by a rotating mechanism 60. In this embodiment, the rotating mechanism 60 can preferably be a ball joint or a bearing.
[0052] As a key load-bearing component in the chassis system, the wheel bracket 30's main function is to stably support the wheel 100 and provide a precise mounting base for critical components such as brake calipers. In this embodiment, the structure and connection method of the wheel bracket 30 have undergone a fundamental change compared to traditional torsion beam rear axles: it is no longer directly fixed to the trailing arm 10 using the traditional rigid welding process, but is instead movably mounted to the trailing arm bracket 20 via two precision ball joints or bearings.
[0053] This design cleverly utilizes the center line connecting two ball joints or bearings (i.e., the rotating mechanism 60) to construct a virtual rotation axis in space, which serves as the kingpin axis A when the wheel is steering. Furthermore, to achieve active steering, a steering pushrod 40 is linked to the steering arm 50 at the rear of the wheel bracket 30, enabling precise transmission of steering torque.
[0054] As a key lever component in the steering transmission chain, the steering arm 50 is rigidly connected at one end to the output shaft of the steering motor 21, thereby accurately receiving and transmitting the rotational torque output by the motor. The other end of the steering arm 50 is hinged to the first end 41 of the steering push rod 40 through a rotatable connection (such as a ball joint or pin).
[0055] At the same time, the second end 42 of the steering push rod 40 is also rotatably connected to the wheel bracket 30. Through this series of connection structures, the rotational motion of the steering motor 21 is converted into the linear push-pull action of the steering push rod 40 through the swing arm, thereby causing the wheel bracket 30 to deflect around the kingpin axis A.
[0056] Preferably, a third connecting arm 32 extending outward is provided at the lower part of the wheel bracket 30, and the third connecting arm 32 and the steering swing arm 50 are respectively connected to the first end 41 and the second end 42 of the steering push rod 40 via a hinge 70. In this embodiment, the hinge 70 can preferably be a bushing or a ball joint.
[0057] In addition, the active steering torsion beam rear axle also includes a crossbeam 80 and a spring disc 81. The crossbeam 80 is arranged laterally, with its two ends fixedly connected to the corresponding longitudinal arms 10 to form an integral torsion beam structure. The spring disc 81 is located in the connection area between the crossbeam 80 and the longitudinal arms 10. A shock absorber bracket 82 may also be connected here.
[0058] In addition, at the other end of the trailing arm 10 extending longitudinally along the vehicle body, a torsion beam rear axle body mounting bushing 11 is integrated to realize the rotational connection and load transfer between the trailing arm 10 and the vehicle body.
[0059] The active steering torsion beam rear axle of the present invention converts the rotational motion of the steering motor 21 into linear motion through the steering swing arm 50 and the steering push rod 40, thereby driving the wheel bracket 30 to rotate around the kingpin axis A, thus realizing the independent steering of the wheel bracket 30.
[0060] like Figure 4 As shown, to be more specific, assuming that the rotation axis of the steering motor 21 is positive from front to back, taking the action of the left wheel of the vehicle turning to the left as an example, the complete power transmission and steering process is as follows: When the vehicle's chassis control unit determines that a steering operation is required and sends a left turn command signal to the steering motor 21, the steering motor 21 immediately starts, and its output shaft follows a preset positive direction (e.g., Figure 4 The rotation begins in the D1 direction. This rotational motion is first input to the matching reduction mechanism, and after reduction and torque amplification, it precisely drives the connected steering arm 50 to deflect at a corresponding angle (e.g., ...). Figure 4 (Central D2 direction).
[0061] Next, the steering arm 50 converts this rotational motion into mechanical thrust or pull, which is transmitted through the steering push rod 40 articulated with it. The steering push rod 40 then drives the wheel bracket 30 (e.g., Figure 4 In the D3 direction), it overcomes road resistance and deflects strictly around the main pin axis A established by the ball joints or bearings at the upper and lower ends (i.e., the rotating mechanism 60). Figure 4 (Central E direction). Through this series of precise electromechanical coordinated actions, the left wheel was ultimately turned to the left, thus achieving the control goal of independent and precise steering of the left and right wheels.
[0062] The present invention also provides a vehicle comprising the active steering torsion beam rear axle as described above.
[0063] Based on the above structural description, the active steering torsion beam rear axle of the present invention has the following advantages: First, the simplified structure significantly reduces manufacturing costs.
[0064] The linkage mechanism of steering swing arm and steering push rod efficiently converts the rotational motion of the motor into linear motion, successfully eliminating the need for expensive precision transmission parts such as gears, racks, or ball screws in traditional steering systems, thus simplifying the mechanical structure and significantly reducing hardware costs.
[0065] Second, the high degree of integration effectively saves chassis layout space.
[0066] By directly integrating the steering motor and reduction mechanism onto the trailing arm, not only is the spatial layout of the components optimized, but the system's footprint on the chassis is also greatly reduced, perfectly matching the inherent advantages of the torsion beam suspension structure, which is compact and occupies little space.
[0067] III. Active safety control, comprehensively improving vehicle dynamic performance.
[0068] By precisely driving the left and right push rods with a motor, active chassis intervention under various working conditions is achieved: Improved braking stability: When the vehicle brakes, the motors on both sides push the push rods in opposite directions, actively increasing the rear wheel toe angle, effectively suppressing the instability caused by the "outward spread" of the wheels during traditional torsion beam braking, and significantly improving braking safety.
[0069] Enhanced high-speed steering stability: When the vehicle is turning at high speed, the left and right motors push the push rods in the same direction, causing the rear wheels to deflect in the same direction as the front wheels. This cooperative steering strategy enhances the vehicle's tracking ability during high-speed lane changes or cornering, and avoids the risk of oversteer.
[0070] Optimize low-speed flexibility and maneuverability: When the vehicle turns or makes a U-turn at low speed, the motors on both sides push the push rods in the same direction to make a large-scale reverse steering, so that the rear wheels deflect in the opposite direction to the front wheels, thereby greatly reducing the turning radius of the vehicle and enabling even a large vehicle to make a quick and flexible U-turn.
[0071] IV. Filling a market gap and achieving high-performance, cost-effective active rear-wheel steering.
[0072] The active steering torsion beam rear axle successfully introduces active steering functionality into the torsion beam rear axle, breaking the current market limitation that active rear wheel steering technology can only be installed on expensive and space-consuming multi-link suspensions. With the advantages of low cost and small space occupation, it provides more passenger vehicles with the possibility of achieving high-level chassis handling.
[0073] For those skilled in the art, the above disclosure is merely illustrative and does not constitute a limitation of this application. Although not explicitly stated herein, those skilled in the art may make various modifications, improvements, and corrections to this application. Such modifications, improvements, and corrections are suggested in this application and therefore remain within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of this application.
[0074] It should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to define components is merely for the purpose of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this application.
[0075] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" is usually based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of protection of this application; the directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.
[0076] Furthermore, this application uses specific terms to describe embodiments of the application. For example, "an embodiment," "one embodiment," and / or "some embodiments" refer to a particular feature, structure, or characteristic related to at least one embodiment of the application. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that "an embodiment," "one embodiment," or "an alternative embodiment" mentioned twice or more in different locations in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, certain features, structures, or characteristics in one or more embodiments of the application can be appropriately combined.
[0077] Similarly, it should be noted that, in order to simplify the description of the embodiments disclosed in this application and thus aid in the understanding of one or more embodiments of the invention, the foregoing description of the embodiments of this application sometimes combines multiple features into one embodiment, drawing, or description thereof. However, this disclosure method does not mean that the subject matter of this application requires more features than those mentioned in the claims. In fact, the embodiments have fewer features than all the features of the single embodiments disclosed above. Some embodiments use numbers describing the quantity of components and attributes. It should be understood that such numbers used in the description of embodiments are modified in some examples by the terms "approximately," "approximately," or "generally." Unless otherwise stated, "approximately," "approximately," or "generally" indicates that the numbers are allowed to vary by ±20%.
[0078] Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters used in the specification and claims are approximate values, which may be changed depending on the characteristics required by individual embodiments. In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should take into account specified significant digits and employ a general method of digit preservation. Although the numerical ranges and parameters used to confirm their breadth of application in some embodiments of this application are approximate values, in specific embodiments, such values are set as precisely as feasible.
[0079] While specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, those skilled in the art should understand that these are merely illustrative examples, and the scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to these embodiments without departing from the principles and essence of the present invention, but all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.
Claims
1. An actively steering twist-beam rear axle, characterized in that The active steering torsion beam rear axle includes: The trailing arm and the trailing arm bracket, wherein the trailing arm bracket is integrated with the steering motor and is mounted to one end of the trailing arm; A wheel bracket, wherein the upper and lower ends of the wheel bracket are respectively rotatably connected to the longitudinal arm bracket, and the rotatable connection forms a main pin axis; The steering push rod and the steering swing arm are provided. One end of the steering swing arm is connected to the output shaft of the steering motor, and the other end is rotatably connected to the first end of the steering push rod. The second end of the steering push rod is rotatably connected to the wheel bracket. The steering arm and the steering push rod convert the rotational motion of the steering motor into linear motion, driving the wheel bracket to rotate around the kingpin axis, thereby achieving independent steering of the wheel bracket.
2. The actively steering twist-beam rear axle of claim 1, wherein, The longitudinal arm support adopts the housing of the steering motor and reduction mechanism assembly.
3. The actively steering twist-beam rear axle of claim 1, wherein, The other end of the trailing arm is provided with a torsion beam rear axle body mounting bushing for connecting the vehicle body.
4. The actively steering twist-beam rear axle of claim 1, wherein, The upper and lower ends of the wheel bracket are respectively provided with a rotating mechanism, which is rotatably connected to the longitudinal arm bracket.
5. The active steering torsion beam rear axle as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The wheel bracket has outwardly extending first connecting arms at its upper and lower ends, and the longitudinal arm bracket has outwardly extending second connecting arms at its upper and lower ends. The first connecting arms and the second connecting arms are rotatably connected by the rotating mechanism.
6. The active steering torsion beam rear axle as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The rotating mechanism is a ball joint or a bearing.
7. The active steering torsion beam rear axle as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The lower part of the wheel bracket is also provided with a third connecting arm extending outward. The third connecting arm and the steering swing arm are respectively connected to the first end and the second end of the steering push rod through a hinge.
8. The active steering torsion beam rear axle as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The hinge is a bushing or a ball joint.
9. The active steering torsion beam rear axle as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The active steering torsion beam rear axle also includes a crossbeam and a spring disc, with both ends of the crossbeam connected to the corresponding longitudinal arm, and the spring disc installed at the connection between the crossbeam and the longitudinal arm.
10. A vehicle, characterized in that, The vehicle includes an active steering torsion beam rear axle as described in any one of claims 1-9.