Independent corner module, steering system and vehicle

Abstract

The utility model relates to an independent steering module, a steering system and a vehicle, which are used for solving the technical problems that the size of a steering gear required by large-angle steering is too large and the spatial arrangement of the steering gear is difficult. The steering gear assembly comprises a gear and an arc-shaped rack which are meshed with each other, the steering gear assembly is configured in the mode that when the gear rotates, the arc-shaped rack can rotate around the arc center of the arc-shaped rack, the steering driving unit can drive the gear to rotate, and the steering driving unit is arranged on the vehicle body; the outer end of the steering pull rod is rotatably connected with the steering knuckle, and the inner end of the steering pull rod is rotatably connected with the outer end of the arc-shaped rack.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of vehicle technology, and in particular to an independent corner module, a steering system and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Traditional cars have difficulty entering narrow parking spaces. Non-motor vehicles and motor vehicles are mixed in some sections of the city, making it difficult to avoid and easy to scratch. There is a large flow of traffic at T-junctions, and turning vehicles are easily stuck on the straight road, making it difficult to change lanes. Special vehicles have difficulty turning or turning around at many intersections due to narrow roads. When ambulances enter residential areas, it is inconvenient to enter and exit due to narrow roads or insufficient turning space, and they often fail to arrive at the rescue site in time. Therefore, the steering flexibility of the vehicle and its ability to adapt to the driving environment are becoming increasingly important.

[0003] In the related art, there have been devices that can achieve large-angle steering of the vehicle, thereby achieving functions such as lateral driving and turning around on the spot. In order to achieve large-angle steering of the vehicle, the size of the steering gear is increased, which may cause the size and layout of the steering gear to interfere with the steering of the wheels. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide an independent steering angle module, a steering system and a vehicle to solve the technical problems of excessive size of the steering gear required for large-angle steering and difficulty in spatial arrangement of the steering gear.

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present disclosure provides an independent turning angle module, including: a steering knuckle, a wheel connected to the steering knuckle, a steering gear assembly, including a gear and an arc-shaped rack that mesh with each other, the radius of the arc-shaped rack is larger than the radius of the gear, and the steering gear assembly is configured as follows: when the gear rotates, the arc-shaped rack can rotate around its own arc center, a steering drive unit can drive the gear to rotate, the steering drive unit is arranged on the vehicle body, and a steering rod, the outer end of which is rotatably connected to the steering knuckle, and the inner end is rotatably connected to the outer end of the arc-shaped rack.

[0006] Optionally, the steering gear assembly also includes a bracket, which is fixedly connected to the vehicle body, and the gear is rotatably connected to the bracket through a gear shaft. The bracket is also provided with an arc guide groove, which has the same radius as the arc rack and is coaxially arranged, and the arc rack is slidably connected to the guide groove.

[0007] Optionally, the bracket is constructed as a plate-like structure, a plurality of limit blocks are fixedly connected to the lower surface of the bracket, the plurality of limit blocks are arranged at intervals along the moving trajectory of the arc-shaped rack, and the arc-shaped guide groove is formed on the limit blocks.

[0008] Optionally, the tooth structure of the arc-shaped rack is arranged on the inner side of the arc-shaped rack.

[0009] Optionally, the tooth structure of the arc-shaped rack is arranged on the outside of the arc-shaped rack.

[0010] Optionally, the steering drive unit includes a steering motor and a reduction mechanism connected to an output end of the steering motor, and the gear shaft of the gear is coaxially and fixedly connected to an output shaft of the reduction mechanism.

[0011] Optionally, the outer end of the steering tie rod is connected to the steering knuckle via a ball pin, and the inner end of the steering tie rod is connected to the arc-shaped rack via a ball pin.

[0012] Optionally, the independent turning angle module also includes a swing arm assembly and a shock absorber, the outer end of the swing arm assembly is connected to the steering knuckle, and the inner end is connected to the vehicle body, the shock absorber extends in a vertical direction, the lower end of the shock absorber is connected to the swing arm assembly, and the upper end of the shock absorber is fixedly connected to the vehicle body.

[0013] Optionally, the swing arm assembly includes an upper swing arm and a lower swing arm, the outer ends of the upper swing arm and the lower swing arm are respectively connected to the steering knuckle through a ball pin, the inner ends of the upper swing arm and the lower swing arm are respectively connected to the vehicle body through a bushing, and a universal joint is provided at the lower end of the shock absorber, and the universal joint is connected to the lower swing arm.

[0014] On the basis of the above technical solution, the present disclosure further provides a steering system, including the independent turning angle module in the above technical solution.

[0015] On the basis of the above technical solution, the present disclosure also provides a vehicle, comprising the steering system in the above technical solution.

[0016] Through the above technical scheme, in the independent turning angle module provided by the present disclosure, by rotating the gear input at a relatively small angle, the arc-shaped rack can be rotated around its virtual arc center and output a relatively large displacement along the lateral direction of the vehicle, thereby maximizing the output displacement of the steering gear assembly along the lateral direction of the vehicle within a given space, and then the steering rod drives the steering knuckle and the wheel to rotate at a larger angle, thereby reducing the size of the steering gear. In addition, the steering drive unit arranged at different positions can be adapted by changing the radius of the gear, so the steering drive unit does not have to be arranged at the arc center of the arc-shaped rack, so that the arrangement position of the steering drive unit is more flexible, avoiding the interference problem of parts during large-angle steering. In addition, the steering drive unit is arranged on the frame, and the unsprung mass is small, which does not damage the handling and smoothness of the vehicle. Finally, in the independent turning angle module provided by the present disclosure, the remaining parts and arrangements except the steering gear assembly can use the parts and arrangements in the existing turning angle module, reducing the cost of production and transformation. The steering system provided by the present disclosure has the same technical effect as the independent turning angle module in the above technical scheme, and in order to avoid unnecessary repetition, it is not repeated here. The vehicle provided in the present disclosure has the same technical effect as the steering system in the above technical solution, and in order to avoid unnecessary repetition, it will not be described here.

[0017] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be described in detail in the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the following specific embodiments, they are used to explain the present disclosure but do not constitute a limitation of the present disclosure. In the accompanying drawings:

[0019] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of an independent corner module in a specific implementation manner of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 2 It is a front view of an independent corner module in a specific embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 3 It is a top view of a 0° corner of an independent corner module in a specific embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 4 It is a top view of a 90° turn of the independent turning module (ie, the wheel rotates 90° clockwise) in a specific embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 5 It is a top view of the independent turning angle module of the specific implementation manner of the present disclosure at a -45° turning angle (ie, the wheel rotates 45° counterclockwise).

[0024] Figure 6It is a structural schematic diagram of a steering gear assembly in a specific implementation manner of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 7 is a front view of a steering gear assembly in a specific embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 8 It is a bottom view of the steering gear assembly in a specific embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Description of Reference Numerals

[0028] 1- Steering knuckle,

[0029] 2-swing arm assembly, 21-upper swing arm, 22-lower swing arm,

[0030] 3- shock absorber,

[0031] 4-Wheels,

[0032] 5- Steering tie rod,

[0033] 6-steering gear assembly, 61-gear, 611-gear shaft, 62-arc rack, 63-bracket, 631-arc guide groove, 632-limit block. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The specific implementation of the present disclosure is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific implementation described herein is only used to illustrate and explain the present disclosure, and is not used to limit the present disclosure.

[0035] In the present disclosure, unless otherwise stated, directional words such as "upper and lower" generally refer to the upper and lower positions of the independent corner module in normal use when it is assembled on a vehicle, "inner and outer" refer to the inner and outer positions relative to the contour of the corresponding component itself, and "inner end and outer end" refer to the end of the independent corner module that is away from the wheel as the inner end and the end that is toward the wheel as the outer end. The terms "first", "second", etc. used in the present disclosure are intended to distinguish one element from another and do not have order or importance. In addition, when the following description refers to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements.

[0036] According to a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, an independent corner module is provided. Figures 1 to 5 As shown, taking the wheel 4 as the wheel on the left side of the vehicle as an example, the independent turning angle module may include a steering knuckle 1, a wheel 4, a connecting rod 5, a steering gear assembly 6 and a steering drive unit (not shown).

[0037] The wheel 4 can be fixedly connected to the steering knuckle 1 by screws, and can rotate around a virtual kingpin axis formed by a line connecting the upper and lower ball head points of the steering knuckle 1 to achieve steering of the vehicle.

[0038] The steering gear assembly 6 may include a gear 61 and an arc-shaped rack 62 meshing with each other, and the steering gear assembly 6 may be configured such that when the gear 61 rotates, the arc-shaped rack 62 can rotate around its own arc center to generate a displacement in the lateral direction of the vehicle. The radius of the arc-shaped rack 62 may be greater than the radius of the gear 61, so that a smaller rotation angle of the gear 61 can cause the arc-shaped rack 62 to output a larger displacement in the lateral direction of the vehicle.

[0039] The steering drive unit can drive the gear 61 to rotate, and the steering drive unit can be arranged on the vehicle body.

[0040] The outer end of the steering tie rod 5 can be rotatably connected to the steering knuckle 1 , and the inner end can be rotatably connected to the outer end of the arc-shaped rack 62 .

[0041] Through the above technical scheme, in the independent corner module provided by the present disclosure, by inputting a small angle of rotation through the gear 61, the arc rack 62 can be rotated around its virtual arc center and output a larger displacement along the lateral direction of the vehicle, thereby maximizing the output displacement of the steering gear assembly 6 along the lateral direction of the vehicle within a given space, and then the steering tie rod 5 drives the steering knuckle 1 and the wheel 4 to rotate a larger angle, thereby reducing the size of the steering gear. In addition, the steering drive unit set at different positions can be adapted by changing the radius of the gear 61. Therefore, the steering drive unit does not have to be set at the arc center of the arc rack 62, making the layout position of the steering drive unit more flexible and avoiding the interference problem of parts when steering at a large angle. In addition, the steering drive unit is arranged on the frame, the unsprung mass is small, and the handling and smoothness of the vehicle are not damaged. Finally, in the independent corner module provided by the present disclosure, the remaining parts and arrangements except the steering gear assembly 6 can use the parts and arrangements in the existing corner module, reducing the cost of production and transformation.

[0042] In order to guide the movement of the arc-shaped rack 62, refer to Figures 1 to 8 As shown, the steering gear assembly 6 may further include a bracket 63, which may be fixedly connected to the vehicle body. Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the gear 61 can be rotatably connected to the bracket 63 through the gear shaft 611, so that the gear 61 can only rotate around the gear shaft 611. Figure 2 and Figure 7 As shown, the bracket 63 may also be provided with an arc-shaped guide groove 631, which may have the same radius as the arc-shaped rack 62 and be coaxially arranged, and the arc-shaped rack 62 may be slidably connected to the guide groove 631. Through the cooperation between the arc-shaped guide groove 631 and the arc-shaped rack 62, the arc-shaped rack 62 can move only in a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the gear 61, thereby preventing the arc-shaped rack 62 from tilting and causing failure of the steering gear assembly 6.

[0043] refer to Figures 1 to 8 As shown, the bracket 63 can be constructed as a plate-like structure, referring to Figure 2 as well as Figures 6 to 8 As shown, the gear 61 and the arc-shaped rack 62 can be arranged below the bracket 63 to facilitate the connection between the bracket 63 and the vehicle body, and a plurality of stop blocks 632 can be fixedly connected to the lower surface of the bracket 63, and the plurality of stop blocks 632 can be arranged at intervals along the moving track of the arc-shaped rack 62, and an arc-shaped guide groove 631 can be formed on the stop blocks 632. Specifically, the plurality of stop blocks 632 can be arranged at intervals on both sides of the moving track of the arc-shaped rack 62, and an arc-shaped groove can be provided on the surface of one side of each stop block 632 facing the moving track of the arc-shaped rack 62, and the arc-shaped grooves of the plurality of stop blocks 632 together constitute the arc-shaped guide groove 631.

[0044] In the specific embodiment of the present disclosure, as the first embodiment of the arc-shaped rack 62, refer to Figure 8 As shown, the tooth structure of the arc-shaped rack 62 can be arranged on the inner side of the arc-shaped rack 62, that is, on the side of the arc-shaped rack 62 facing the center of the arc, and the gear 61 is meshed and connected with the inner side of the arc-shaped rack 62. That is, when the arrangement position of the steering drive unit on the vehicle body is located on the inner side of the arc-shaped rack 62, the arc-shaped rack 62 in the first embodiment can be selected.

[0045] In a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, as a second embodiment of the arc-shaped rack 62, the tooth structure of the arc-shaped rack 62 can be arranged on the outside of the arc-shaped rack 62, that is, on the side of the arc-shaped rack 62 away from the center of the arc, and the gear 61 is meshed and connected with the arc-shaped rack 62 on the outside. That is, when the arrangement position of the steering drive unit on the vehicle body is located on the outside of the arc-shaped rack 62, the arc-shaped rack 62 in the second embodiment can be selected.

[0046] In addition, according to the actual demand for the moving track of the arc rack 62, an arc rack 62 with a constant radius and a fixed arc center can be selected, or an arc rack 62 with a gradually changing radius and an arc center can be selected. In other words, the arc rack 62 is a continuous and smooth curve shape, as long as it can output the displacement along the lateral direction of the vehicle.

[0047] In a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, the steering drive unit may include a steering motor (not shown) and a reduction mechanism (not shown) connected to the output end of the steering motor, and the gear shaft 611 of the gear 61 may be coaxially and fixedly connected to the output shaft of the reduction mechanism so that the steering motor drives the gear 61 to rotate through the reduction mechanism.

[0048] The working process of the independent turning angle module provided in the present disclosure will be described below by taking the arc-shaped rack 62 as an arc-shaped rack with a fixed radius, a fixed arc center, a tooth structure on the inside, and the wheel 4 being the wheel on the left side of the vehicle as an example.

[0049] refer to Figure 3 As shown, when the steering angle of the wheel 4 is 0°, that is, the driving direction of the vehicle is straight ahead or straight behind, the steering gear assembly 6 and the steering tie rod 5 are both in the initial state.

[0050] When the vehicle needs to turn right, the steering drive unit can drive the gear 61 to rotate clockwise, so that the arc rack 62 rotates clockwise by a certain angle, so as to drive the steering rod 5 to be pushed outward along the lateral direction of the vehicle, so that the wheel 4 rotates clockwise to the required angle. Figure 4 As shown, it is a schematic diagram of the structure in which the wheel 4 rotates 90° clockwise. When all four wheels on the vehicle rotate 90° clockwise, the vehicle can move sideways.

[0051] When the vehicle needs to turn left, the steering drive unit can drive the gear 61 to rotate counterclockwise, so that the arc rack 62 rotates counterclockwise by a certain angle, so as to drive the steering rod 5 to be pulled back inward along the lateral direction of the vehicle, so that the wheel 4 rotates counterclockwise to the required angle. Figure 5 As shown, it is a structural schematic diagram of the wheel 4 rotating 45° counterclockwise. When the four wheels on the vehicle rotate 45° counterclockwise, the vehicle can be driven obliquely, that is, the vehicle can be translated in an oblique direction.

[0052] In addition, in order to maintain the structural stability of the steering gear assembly 6, the outer end of the steering rod 5 can be connected to the steering knuckle 1 through a ball pin, and the inner end of the steering rod 5 can be connected to the outer end of the arc rack 62 through a ball pin to prevent the vertical vibration of the wheel 4 from being transmitted to the steering gear assembly 6, thereby preventing the steering gear assembly 6 from being deformed and improving the controllability, stability and smoothness of the independent turning module.

[0053] refer to Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the independent corner module may further include a swing arm assembly 2 and a shock absorber 3. The outer end of the swing arm assembly 2 may be connected to the steering knuckle 1, and the inner end may be connected to the vehicle body (not shown). The shock absorber 3 may extend in a vertical direction, the lower end of the shock absorber 3 may be connected to the swing arm assembly 2, and the upper end of the shock absorber 3 may be fixedly connected to the vehicle body.

[0054] refer to Figures 1 to 5As shown, the swing arm assembly 2 can use the traditional double wishbone suspension structure, that is, the swing arm assembly 2 can include an upper swing arm 21 and a lower swing arm 22, the outer ends of the upper swing arm 21 and the lower swing arm 22 can be connected to the steering knuckle 1 through a ball pin, and the inner ends of the upper swing arm 21 and the lower swing arm 22 can be connected to the vehicle body through a bushing (not shown), and the swing arm assembly 2 has good structure, large lateral rigidity, excellent anti-roll performance, good grip performance, clear road feel, small changes in parts and layout, and has an independent rotating kingpin, and good driving stability. The lower end of the shock absorber 3 can be provided with a universal joint, and the universal joint can be connected to the lower swing arm 22 through a fastener. In this way, the shock absorber 3 can be arranged between the upper swing arm 21 and the lower swing arm 22, so that the structure of the independent corner module is more compact.

[0055] On the basis of the above technical solution, the present disclosure further provides a steering system, including the independent turning angle module in the above technical solution.

[0056] Through the above technical solution, the steering system provided by the present invention has the same technical effect as the independent turning angle module in the above technical solution. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, it will not be described here.

[0057] On the basis of the above technical solution, the present disclosure also provides a vehicle, comprising the steering system in the above technical solution.

[0058] Through the above technical solution, the vehicle provided in the present disclosure has the same technical effect as the steering system in the above technical solution, and in order to avoid unnecessary repetition, it will not be described here.

[0059] The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings; however, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific details in the above embodiments. Within the technical concept of the present disclosure, a variety of simple modifications can be made to the technical solution of the present disclosure, and these simple modifications all fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0060] It should also be noted that the various specific technical features described in the above specific embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, the present disclosure will not further describe various possible combinations.

[0061] In addition, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be arbitrarily combined, and as long as they do not violate the concept of the present disclosure, they should also be regarded as the contents disclosed by the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An independent corner module, characterized in that: include: Steering knuckle, A wheel connected to the steering knuckle, A steering gear assembly comprises a gear and an arc-shaped rack meshing with each other, wherein the steering gear assembly is configured such that when the gear rotates, the arc-shaped rack can rotate around the center of its own arc. a steering drive unit, capable of driving the gear to rotate, wherein the steering drive unit is disposed on the vehicle body, and A steering tie rod has an outer end rotatably connected to the steering knuckle, and an inner end rotatably connected to the outer end of the arc-shaped rack.

2. The independent corner module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The steering gear assembly also includes a bracket, which is fixedly connected to the vehicle body. The gear is rotatably connected to the bracket via a gear shaft. The bracket is also provided with an arc-shaped guide groove, which has the same radius as the arc-shaped rack and is coaxially arranged, and the arc-shaped rack is slidably connected to the guide groove.

3. The independent corner module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bracket is constructed as a plate-like structure, and a plurality of limit blocks are fixedly connected to the lower surface of the bracket. The plurality of limit blocks are arranged at intervals along the moving track of the arc-shaped rack, and the arc-shaped guide grooves are formed on the limit blocks.

4. The independent corner module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tooth structure of the arc-shaped rack is arranged on the inner side of the arc-shaped rack.

5. The independent corner module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tooth structure of the arc-shaped rack is arranged on the outer side of the arc-shaped rack.

6. The independent corner module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The steering drive unit includes a steering motor and a speed reduction mechanism connected to an output end of the steering motor, and a gear shaft of the gear is coaxially and fixedly connected to an output shaft of the speed reduction mechanism.

7. The independent corner module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer end of the steering tie rod is connected to the steering knuckle through a ball pin, and the inner end of the steering tie rod is connected to the arc-shaped rack through a ball pin.

8. The independent corner module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The independent turning angle module also includes a swing arm assembly and a shock absorber, wherein the outer end of the swing arm assembly is connected to the steering knuckle, and the inner end is connected to the vehicle body, the shock absorber extends in a vertical direction, the lower end of the shock absorber is connected to the swing arm assembly, and the upper end of the shock absorber is fixedly connected to the vehicle body.

9. The independent corner module according to claim 8, characterized in that: The swing arm assembly comprises an upper swing arm and a lower swing arm, wherein the outer ends of the upper swing arm and the lower swing arm are respectively connected to the steering knuckle through a ball pin, and the inner ends of the upper swing arm and the lower swing arm are respectively connected to the vehicle body through a bushing. A universal joint is arranged at the lower end of the shock absorber, and the universal joint is connected to the lower swing arm.

10. A steering system, characterized in that: The invention comprises the independent corner module according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A vehicle, characterized in that: Includes the steering system as claimed in claim 10.

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