A steering suspension structure and a vehicle

Abstract

This utility model discloses a steering suspension structure and a vehicle. The steering suspension structure includes a steering knuckle, a steering gear assembly, a swing pin, and a lower control arm. The steering gear assembly is fixedly connected to the steering knuckle and is configured to apply torque about a first axis to the swing pin. The swing pin and the lower control arm form a hinge engagement, and their hinge axis is a second axis. The first axis and the second axis are not collinear. This utility model enables wheel steering with a wheel turning angle of up to 90°. It also has the advantages of simple structure, high reliability, compact layout, and no space occupation in the engine compartment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to vehicle body structure, specifically to a steering suspension structure and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] In existing technology, the left and right steering wheels of a car are connected by an integral steering gear. The steering gear rack pushes and pulls the steering tie rod, causing the car wheels to rotate and thus achieving steering. Although this structure has been developed and is technically mature over the years, some contradictions have arisen with the advancement of automotive technology and the increasing demands of users. For example, traditional steering gears are limited by space when the wheels are turning at large angles. When the wheel angle reaches 90°, the motion envelope of the wheel will interfere with the motion envelope of the traditional steering gear tie rod.

[0003] CN106627746A discloses a steerable four-wheel independent steering system with a steering motor arranged in the control arm of a double wishbone suspension. The system includes a steering motor, a driven shaft, an upper control arm and a lower control arm, and a steering knuckle for steering the wheels. The upper control arm and lower control arm are connected to the vehicle body. The driven shaft passes through the lower control arm and connects to the steering knuckle. The upper control arm is connected to the steering knuckle. The steering system also includes a universal joint, located between the driven shaft and the steering knuckle. The steering motor is mounted on the lower control arm, and its output end is connected to the universal joint. The torque output by the steering motor drives the steering knuckle via the universal joint, thus steering the wheels. This patented technical solution has the advantages of achieving independent steering while maintaining the suspension's motion performance. Undoubtedly, the technical solution disclosed in the above patent document is a beneficial attempt in its respective technical field. However, its transmission via a universal joint and torque steering mechanism results in a complex structure, numerous parts, and exposed bevel gear sets that are prone to damage, leading to low reliability of the steering system. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a steering suspension structure and a vehicle that can achieve wheel steering and a wheel turning angle of up to 90°. At the same time, it also has the advantages of simple structure, high reliability, compact layout and no occupation of cabin space.

[0005] A steering suspension structure according to the present invention includes a steering knuckle, a steering gear assembly, a swing pin, and a lower control arm; the steering gear assembly is fixedly connected to the steering knuckle, and the steering gear assembly is configured to apply torque about a first axis to the swing pin; the swing pin and the lower control arm form a hinge engagement and their hinge axis is a second axis; wherein, the first axis and the second axis are not collinear.

[0006] Furthermore, the swing pin includes a transmission part, a rotating part, and a hinge part arranged sequentially from top to bottom; the transmission part is connected to the steering gear assembly for transmission, the rotating part is rotatably engaged with the steering knuckle, and the hinge part is hinged to the lower control arm with its hinge axis being a second axis.

[0007] Furthermore, the steering assembly includes a reducer and a motor body that is drivenly connected to the reducer. The power output end of the motor body is connected to the power input end of the reducer. The power output end of the reducer is connected to the transmission part by a key. The central axis of the transmission part is collinear with the first axis.

[0008] Furthermore, the power output end of the reducer is provided with an internal spline, and the transmission part has an external spline, which forms a keyed connection with the internal spline.

[0009] Furthermore, the lower part of the steering knuckle is provided with a lower mounting seat extending toward the lower control arm. The lower mounting seat is connected to the rotating part through a first bearing. The steering assembly is located above the lower mounting seat and the two are fixedly connected.

[0010] Furthermore, a support lug is provided on each side of the hinge portion, and a sleeve is provided on the side of the lower control arm facing the steering knuckle. The support lug is hinged to the sleeve through a pin and a second bearing, and the central axis of the pin is collinear with the second axis.

[0011] Furthermore, the sleeve is disposed between the two lugs, the pin is fixedly connected to the two lugs, the middle part of the sleeve is clearance-fitted with the pin, and the sleeve is rotatably connected to the pin through two second bearings.

[0012] Furthermore, the angle between the first axis and the second axis is 90°.

[0013] Furthermore, it also includes an upper control arm and a shock absorber assembly. The upper control arm is connected to the upper part of the steering knuckle via a ball joint. The upper control arm is provided with a ball joint mounting groove, and the upper part of the steering knuckle is provided with a ball joint pin. The ball joint pin is connected to the ball joint mounting groove to form the ball joint. The extension line of the first axis passes through the center point of the ball joint pin. The shock absorber assembly is hinged to the lower control arm.

[0014] One type of vehicle in this invention includes the aforementioned steering suspension structure.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0016] (1) In this utility model, the swing pin and the lower control arm form a hinged connection and the hinge axis is the second axis. The first axis and the second axis are not collinear. Therefore, the swing pin can only swing around the second axis and cannot rotate around the first axis. When the steering assembly is working and a torque around the first axis is applied to the swing pin, the swing pin cannot rotate around the first axis, which causes the steering assembly to rotate around the first axis as the rotation axis. The steering assembly and the steering knuckle are fixedly connected by bolts. Therefore, the rotation of the steering assembly will drive the steering knuckle to rotate, so as to achieve wheel steering.

[0017] (2) The present invention can achieve wheel steering by means of the structure of the steering gear assembly and the swing pin. The wheel motion envelope is not limited by the motion envelope of the traditional steering gear tie rod, and the wheel turning angle can reach 90°.

[0018] (3) The present invention has a simple structure, high reliability, and compact layout. The steering gear assembly and swing pin are arranged at the wheel end, which does not occupy the space inside the engine compartment. The engine compartment structure is no longer restricted by the steering gear assembly structure, which is conducive to the optimized design of the engine compartment structure.

[0019] (4) This utility model can prevent dirt from appearing on the moving parts of the reducer and transmission, and the moving parts of the lower mounting base and the rotating part, thereby further improving reliability and service life. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and beneficial effects of this utility model clearer, the following drawings are provided for illustration:

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the steering suspension structure of this utility model;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the steering suspension structure of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the steering gear assembly of this utility model;

[0024] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the connection between the upper swing arm and the swing pin of this utility model.

[0025] The following labels are used in the attached diagram: 1-steering knuckle, 101-lower mounting base, 102-ball joint pin; 2-steering gear assembly, 201-reducer, 202-motor body, 203-output internal spline; 3-swing pin, 301-transmission part, 302-rotating part, 303-hinge part, 304-support lug; 4-lower control arm, 401-sleeve; 5-pin shaft; 6-first bearing; 7-second bearing; 8-upper control arm, 801-ball joint mounting groove; 9-shock absorber assembly; a-first axis, b-second axis. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solution of this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0027] like Figures 1-4 As shown, a steering suspension structure in this embodiment includes a steering knuckle 1, a steering gear assembly 2, a swing pin 3, and a lower control arm 4; the steering gear assembly 2 is fixedly connected to the steering knuckle 1, and the steering gear assembly 2 is configured to apply torque about a first axis a to the swing pin 3; the swing pin 3 and the lower control arm 4 form a hinge engagement and their hinge axis is a second axis b; wherein, the first axis a and the second axis b are not collinear.

[0028] The swing pin 3 and the lower control arm 4 are hinged together, with the hinge axis being the second axis b. The first axis a and the second axis b are not collinear. Therefore, the swing pin 3 can only swing around the second axis b and cannot rotate around the first axis a. When the steering assembly 2 is working and applies torque around the first axis a to the swing pin 3, the swing pin 3 cannot rotate around the first axis a, causing the steering assembly 2 to rotate around the first axis a as its axis of rotation. Since the steering assembly 2 and the steering knuckle 1 are fixedly connected by bolts, the rotation of the steering assembly 2 will drive the steering knuckle 1 to rotate, thus achieving wheel steering.

[0029] Compared to traditional transmission steering systems that require components such as motors, reduction gears, racks and pinions, and steering tie rods, the steering suspension structure in this embodiment achieves wheel steering solely through the cooperation of the steering assembly 2 and the swing pin 3. The wheel motion envelope is not limited by the traditional steering tie rod motion envelope, and the wheel turning angle can reach 90°. Furthermore, the steering suspension structure in this embodiment is simple in structure, highly reliable, and compactly arranged. The steering assembly 2 and the swing pin 3 are located at the wheel ends, not occupying space within the engine compartment. The engine compartment structure is no longer limited by the structure of the steering assembly 2, which is beneficial for optimizing the engine compartment design.

[0030] In this embodiment, the swing pin 3 includes a transmission part, a rotating part 302 and a hinge part 303 arranged sequentially from top to bottom; the transmission part is connected to the steering gear assembly 2, the rotating part 302 is rotatably engaged with the steering knuckle 1, and the hinge part 303 is hinged to the lower control arm 4 with its hinge axis being the second axis b.

[0031] The swing pin 3 is connected to the steering gear assembly 2, steering knuckle 1 and lower control arm 4 at different positions. The structure is compact and there is no exposed gear transmission structure, which further improves reliability.

[0032] In this embodiment, the steering assembly 2 includes a reducer 201 and a motor body 202 that is drivenly connected to the reducer 201. The power output end of the motor body 202 is connected to the power input end of the reducer 201. The power output end of the reducer 201 is connected to the transmission part by a key. The central axis of the transmission part is collinear with the first axis a.

[0033] The reducer 201 can be a planetary reducer 201 or other types of reduction mechanisms. The housing of the reducer 201 is fixedly connected to the stator housing of the motor body 202. The relative positions of the housing of the reducer 201, the stator housing of the motor body 202, and the lower mounting base 101 of the steering knuckle 1 are fixed by bolts. The rotor of the motor body 202, as its power output end, transmits torque to the power input end of the reducer 201. After reduction and torque amplification, the power is output to the transmission unit through the power output end of the reducer 201, thereby applying torque around the first axis a to the swing pin 3.

[0034] In this embodiment, the power output end of the reducer 201 is provided with an output internal spline 203, and the transmission part has an external spline. The external spline and the output internal spline 203 form a keyed connection.

[0035] The internal transmission structure of the reducer 201 is shielded by the housing of the reducer 201 and is not exposed. The external spline of the transmission part is inserted into the output internal spline 203 inside the reducer 201, so that the key mating connection position is also not exposed. This prevents the moving parts of the reducer 201 and the transmission part from getting dirty, and can further improve reliability and service life.

[0036] In this embodiment, the lower part of the steering knuckle 1 is provided with a lower mounting base 101 extending toward the lower control arm 4. The lower mounting base 101 is connected to the rotating part 302 via a first bearing 6. The steering assembly 2 is located above the lower mounting base 101 and the two are fixedly connected. There can be two first bearings 6. The upper and lower parts of the rotating part 302 are rotatably connected to the lower mounting base 101 via one first bearing 6 each. The axis of the rotating part 302, the central axis of the transmission part, and the first axis a are all collinear.

[0037] There is space above the lower mounting base 101 of the steering knuckle 1. The steering assembly 2 can be arranged above the lower mounting base 101 without occupying space in the cabin. The cabin structure is no longer restricted by the structure of the steering assembly 2, which is conducive to the optimized design of the cabin structure.

[0038] The lower mounting base 101 is provided with a through hole, through which two first bearings 6 are installed and rotate in cooperation with the rotating part 302. The lower mounting base 101 and the rotating part 302 are not exposed. The lower mounting base 101 can protect the first bearings 6 and the rotating part 302, and prevent the moving parts of the lower mounting base 101 and the rotating part 302 from being contaminated, which can further improve reliability and service life.

[0039] In this embodiment, a lug 304 is provided on each side of the hinge portion 303, and a sleeve 401 is provided on the side of the lower swing arm 4 facing the steering knuckle 1. The lug 304 is hinged to the sleeve 401 via a pin 5 and a second bearing 7. The central axis of the pin 5 is collinear with the second axis b. In this embodiment, the sleeve 401 is disposed between the two lugs 304, the pin 5 is fixedly connected to the two lugs 304, the middle part of the sleeve 401 is clearance-fitted with the pin 5, and the sleeve 401 is rotatably connected to the pin 5 via two second bearings 7.

[0040] Each of the two lugs 304 has a mounting hole, which is fixedly connected to the pin 5. The pin 5 is rotatably connected to the sleeve 401 of the lower swing arm 4. Therefore, the lugs 304 of the hinge part 303 are rotatably connected to the sleeve 401 of the lower swing arm 4. The central axis of the pin 5 is collinear with the second axis b, and the central axes of the mounting holes and the sleeve 401 are also collinear with the central axis of the pin 5. Therefore, a hinged connection can be achieved between the swing pin 3 and the lower swing arm 4, with the hinge axis being the second axis b.

[0041] In this embodiment, the angle between the first axis a and the second axis b is 90°. Steering and driving capabilities are better at this angle.

[0042] In this embodiment, an upper control arm 8 and a shock absorber assembly 9 are also included. The upper control arm 8 is connected to the upper part of the steering knuckle 1 via a ball joint. The upper control arm 8 is provided with a ball joint mounting groove 801, and the upper part of the steering knuckle 1 is provided with a ball joint pin 102. The ball joint pin 102 is connected to the ball joint mounting groove 801 to form the ball joint. The extension line of the first axis a passes through the center point of the ball joint pin 102. The shock absorber assembly 9 is hinged to the lower control arm 4.

[0043] One vehicle in this embodiment includes the aforementioned steering suspension structure.

[0044] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this utility model and are not intended to limit it. Although this utility model has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of this utility model without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of this utility model, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A steering suspension structure characterized by: The system includes a steering knuckle, a steering gear assembly, a swing pin, and a lower control arm; the steering gear assembly is fixedly connected to the steering knuckle, and the steering gear assembly is configured to apply torque about a first axis to the swing pin; the swing pin is hinged to the lower control arm and its hinge axis is a second axis; wherein the first axis and the second axis are not collinear.

2. The steering suspension structure according to claim 1, characterized by: The swing pin includes a transmission part, a rotating part, and a hinge part arranged sequentially from top to bottom; the transmission part is connected to the steering gear assembly, the rotating part is rotatably engaged with the steering knuckle, and the hinge part is hinged to the lower control arm with its hinge axis being the second axis.

3. The swingarm structure according to claim 2, characterized by: The steering assembly includes a reducer and a motor body that is drivenly connected to the reducer. The power output end of the motor body is connected to the power input end of the reducer. The power output end of the reducer is connected to the transmission part by a key. The central axis of the transmission part is collinear with the first axis.

4. The swingarm structure according to claim 3, characterized by: The power output end of the reducer is provided with an internal spline, and the transmission part has an external spline. The external spline and the internal spline form a keyed connection.

5. The swingarm structure according to claim 2, characterized by: The lower part of the steering knuckle is provided with a lower mounting seat extending toward the lower control arm. The lower mounting seat is connected to the rotating part through a first bearing. The steering assembly is located above the lower mounting seat and the two are fixedly connected.

6. The swingarm structure according to claim 2, characterized by: A lug is provided on each side of the hinge, and a sleeve is provided on the side of the lower control arm facing the steering knuckle. The lug is hinged to the sleeve through a pin and a second bearing, and the central axis of the pin is collinear with the second axis.

7. The swingarm structure according to claim 6, characterized by: The sleeve is disposed between the two lugs, the pin is fixedly connected to the two lugs, the middle part of the sleeve is clearance-fitted with the pin, and the sleeve is rotatably connected to the pin through two second bearings.

8. The steering suspension structure according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by: The angle between the first axis and the second axis is 90°.

9. The steering suspension structure according to claim 1, characterized by: It also includes an upper control arm and a shock absorber assembly. The upper control arm is connected to the upper part of the steering knuckle via a ball joint. The upper control arm is provided with a ball joint mounting groove, and the upper part of the steering knuckle is provided with a ball joint pin. The ball joint pin is connected to the ball joint mounting groove to form the ball joint. The extension line of the first axis passes through the center point of the ball joint pin. The shock absorber assembly is hinged to the lower control arm.

10. A vehicle characterized by: Includes the steering suspension structure as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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