Automobile drive axle with steering and yawing functions

Abstract

The application provides a vehicle drive axle with steering and swing functions, and relates to the technical field of vehicle drive axles.The vehicle drive axle comprises an axle housing, a swing sleeve, a steering knuckle, a main reduction housing, a differential assembly, a main connecting shaft, a driving bevel gear, a cylinder support and a steering cylinder.The axle housing and the swing sleeve are integrally formed, seamless connection is achieved, hidden troubles caused by looseness are eliminated, a stable structure is provided for the swing of the axle, the axle housing can swing by a certain angle with the swing sleeve as the support, the cylinder support and the steering cylinder are arranged on the main reduction housing, the design breaks through the structural limitation, the position of the steering cylinder is reasonably planned while the rigidity of the axle housing is ensured, the rotation of the steering knuckle is facilitated, the steering function is effectively realized, and steering is still easy and accurate when the vehicle is heavily loaded or has high resistance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of automotive drive axle technology, and more particularly to an automotive drive axle with steering and swaying functions. Background Technology

[0002] In conventional automotive axle designs, a combination of an axle housing and an independent final drive is commonly used. This structure offers advantages such as simple manufacturing and convenient maintenance. However, due to the rigidity and space constraints of the axle housing structure, the internal space of the axle housing is limited and irregularly shaped when arranging the steering cylinder. It is difficult to find a suitable location that both meets the installation space required for the normal operation of the steering cylinder and ensures that it does not interfere with other components. This makes it difficult to scientifically and rationally plan the installation position of the steering cylinder. An improper installation position may affect the performance of the steering cylinder, thereby affecting the stability and reliability of the entire steering system. At the same time, the arrangement of the swing sleeve connecting to the frame is also greatly restricted. Utility Model Content

[0003] This application provides a vehicle drive axle with steering and sway functions, which aims to solve the problem that the steering cylinder and sway sleeve are difficult to arrange reasonably due to the rigidity of the axle housing structure and space constraints.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application provides a vehicle drive axle with steering and sway functions, including an integrally formed axle housing, an integrally formed sway sleeve extending from the axle housing, a pair of steering knuckles located on the left and right sides of the sway sleeve mounted on the axle housing, a main reduction housing connected to one side of the axle housing, a differential assembly provided on the main reduction housing and driven by a half-shaft inside the axle housing, a main connecting shaft rotatably mounted on the main reduction housing, a driving bevel gear fixedly connected to one end of the main connecting shaft for driving connection with a driven bevel gear on the differential assembly, a cylinder support connected to the main reduction housing, and a steering cylinder provided between the two ends of the cylinder support.

[0005] In some implementations, a cylindrical groove structure is formed between the two ends of the swing sleeve, and a ring-shaped sliding bearing groove is formed in the middle of the inner wall of the cylindrical groove.

[0006] In some implementations, the side of the main reduction housing that is connected to the axle housing is a planar structure, and the axle housing has an installation port that matches the size of the slot in the main reduction housing.

[0007] In some implementations, a limiting seat is connected to the bearing surface on one side of the differential assembly. The limiting seat is threaded to the threaded port on the main reduction housing via hexagonal bolts. A lower positioning seat and a locking cover are fitted to the bearing surface on the other side of the differential assembly. The lower positioning seat is fixedly connected to the side of the main reduction housing that is connected to the axle housing. The locking cover is threaded to the threaded port on the lower positioning seat via hexagonal bolts.

[0008] In some implementations, a differential lock mechanism is installed on one side of the main reduction housing to lock and unlock the differential assembly.

[0009] In some implementations, a positioning mounting ring is fixedly connected to the steering cylinder, and a plurality of circumferentially distributed arc-shaped protrusions are fixedly connected to the outer contour surface of the positioning mounting ring. A concave cross section is formed between each pair of adjacent arc-shaped protrusions on the outer contour surface of the positioning mounting ring.

[0010] In some implementation schemes, each of the arc-shaped protrusions is provided with a connecting hole, the inner wall of the connecting hole is fitted with a lead screw, and a threaded groove is provided on one side of the cylinder support for threaded connection with the lead screw.

[0011] By adopting the above technical solution, this application has the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art:

[0012] The design of the one-piece molded axle housing and swing sleeve ensures a seamless connection between the axle housing and the swing sleeve, avoiding loosening points that may occur due to welding or bolt connections. This provides a stable basic structure for the swing function of the axle, ensuring that the axle housing can swing at a certain angle with the swing sleeve as the support point.

[0013] A hydraulic cylinder support is connected to the main reduction housing, and a steering cylinder is installed between the two ends of the hydraulic cylinder support. This design breaks the original structural limitations. While ensuring the overall structural rigidity of the axle housing, it not only rationally plans the installation position of the steering cylinder, enabling the steering system to operate normally, but also allows the steering cylinder to provide steering force to the steering knuckle through its extension and retraction movement, allowing the steering knuckle to rotate around the axle housing, thereby realizing the steering function. Especially when the vehicle load is large or the driving resistance is large, it can ensure easy and accurate steering operation. Attached Figure Description

[0014] To more clearly illustrate the related technologies or the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the related technologies or the embodiments of this application will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0015] Figure 1 An exploded structural diagram of a vehicle drive axle with steering and yaw functions provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 ;

[0016] Figure 2 An exploded structural diagram of a vehicle drive axle with steering and yaw functions provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 ;

[0017] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the connection structure between the main reducer housing and the differential assembly;

[0018] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the connection structure between the main reduction gear housing and the cylinder support;

[0019] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the connection structure between the hydraulic cylinder support and the steering cylinder;

[0020] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a vehicle drive axle with steering and swaying functions, provided as an embodiment of this application.

[0021] The labels in the above figures are as follows: 1. Axle housing; 11. Swing sleeve; 12. Steering knuckle; 13. Mounting port; 2. Main reduction housing; 21. Main connecting shaft; 22. Drive bevel gear; 3. Differential assembly; 31. Limit seat; 32. Lower positioning seat; 33. Locking cover; 4. Cylinder support; 41. Steering cylinder; 42. Positioning mounting ring; 43. Arc-shaped protrusion; 44. Connecting hole; 45. Lead screw; 46. Threaded groove; 5. Differential lock mechanism. Detailed Implementation

[0022] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 6 A vehicle drive axle with steering and sway functions includes an integrally formed axle housing 1, on which an integrally formed sway sleeve 11 extends. This design ensures a seamless connection between the axle housing 1 and the sway sleeve 11, avoiding loosening points that may occur due to welding or bolt connections.

[0023] The two ends of the swing sleeve 11 form an interconnected cylindrical groove structure, and a ring-shaped sliding bearing groove is opened in the middle of the inner wall of the cylindrical groove. This structure not only provides a stable foundation for the connection of the frame, but also reduces the wear and vibration of the connection part through the rolling friction of the ball bearing. When the swing sleeve 11 is connected to the frame, its cylindrical groove structure can tightly wrap the connecting parts, such as the connecting shaft or pin of the frame. This tight fit reduces the gap of the connection part, thereby reducing the risk of loosening caused by vibration and shaking, ensuring that the relative position between the axle housing 1 and the frame is always stable, thus ensuring the smoothness and safety of the vehicle driving.

[0024] A pair of steering knuckles 12 are installed on the axle housing 1 on the left and right sides of the swing sleeve 11. When the car is turning, the steering knuckles 12 can rotate flexibly around the axle housing 1, accurately transmitting the driver's steering operation to the wheels, achieving smooth and precise steering. At the same time, the connection between the swing sleeve 11 and the frame provides stable support for the rotation of the steering knuckles 12, reducing resistance during the steering process and further improving the steering flexibility and response speed.

[0025] The main reduction housing 2 is connected to one side of the axle housing 1. The main reduction housing 2 is equipped with a differential assembly 3 that is connected to the internal half-shaft of the axle housing 1. A main connecting shaft 21 is rotatably mounted on the main reduction housing 2. One end of the main connecting shaft 21 is fixedly connected to a driving bevel gear 22 for transmission connection with the driven bevel gear on the differential assembly 3. The sides of the main reduction housing 2 and the axle housing 1 that are connected to each other are both planar structures. This design allows the main reduction housing 2 and the axle housing 1 to fit tightly together, effectively increasing the contact area between the two, thereby greatly improving the connection stability and reducing loosening and displacement caused by vibration during vehicle operation. At the same time, the axle housing 1 has a mounting port 13 that matches the size of the slot in the main reduction housing 2. This design ensures that the differential assembly 3 installed on the main reduction housing 2 can be connected to the internal half-shaft of the axle housing 1 through the mounting port 13.

[0026] To ensure that the differential assembly 3 can be securely mounted on the main reduction housing 2, a limiting seat 31 is connected to the bearing surface on one side of the differential assembly 3. The limiting seat 31 is threaded to the threaded port on the main reduction housing 2 by a hexagonal bolt. On the bearing surface on the other side of the differential assembly 3, a lower positioning seat 32 and a locking cover 33 are attached. The lower positioning seat 32 is fixedly connected to the side of the main reduction housing 2 that is connected to the axle housing 1. The locking cover 33 is threaded to the threaded port on the lower positioning seat 32 by a hexagonal bolt. This design can effectively limit the displacement of the differential assembly 3 in all directions, making the differential assembly 3 extremely securely mounted on the main reduction housing 2. This greatly reduces the possibility of the differential assembly 3 becoming loose due to frequent vibrations and impacts during vehicle operation, providing a reliable guarantee for the stable operation of the vehicle's drive axle.

[0027] Reference Figures 3-5 A differential lock mechanism 5 is installed on one side of the main reduction housing 2 to lock and unlock the differential assembly 3. The main function of the differential lock mechanism 5 is to lock and unlock the differential assembly 3. Since the differential lock mechanism 5 is a relatively mature, widely used and relatively fixed technology in the field of automotive technology, it will not be described in too much detail in the relevant description of this embodiment.

[0028] Considering the limitations of structural rigidity and space constraints in traditional automotive axles, which prevent the placement of steering cylinders 41, a cylinder support 4 is connected to the main reduction housing 2. The steering cylinder 41 is located between the two ends of the cylinder support 4. This design breaks through the original structural limitations. While ensuring the overall structural rigidity of the axle housing 1, it not only rationally plans the installation position of the steering cylinder 41, enabling the steering system to operate normally, but also designs a separate limiting seat 31 to avoid interference caused by the differential bearing seat on the left side of the main reduction housing 2. This effectively avoids assembly problems due to component interference and further improves the reliability and stability of the automotive drive axle.

[0029] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 A positioning mounting ring 42 is fixedly connected to the steering cylinder 41. Multiple circumferentially distributed arc-shaped protrusions 43 are fixedly connected to the outer contour surface of the positioning mounting ring 42. In the actual installation process, the operator needs to install the steering cylinder 41 onto the cylinder support 4. However, the surface of the steering cylinder 41 is round, which is not convenient for direct gripping and operation. The outer contour surface of the positioning mounting ring 42 forms a concave cross section between each pair of adjacent arc-shaped protrusions 43. The operator can naturally insert their fingers into the concave cross section and obtain a stable and comfortable hand grip point by utilizing the specific space formed by the concave cross section. Compared with directly gripping the steering cylinder 41 itself, this gripping method can provide greater friction and a more stable grip, effectively preventing installation errors or safety accidents caused by hand slippage during installation.

[0030] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4Each arc-shaped protrusion 43 has a connecting hole 44, and a lead screw 45 is fitted to the inner wall of the connecting hole 44. A threaded groove 46 for threaded connection with the lead screw 45 is provided on one side of the cylinder support 4. This design facilitates the disassembly and assembly of the steering cylinder 41 and the cylinder support 4. During installation, the operator can easily grasp the steering cylinder 41 with the concave section of the positioning mounting ring 42, insert it from one side port of the cylinder support 4 until the positioning mounting ring 42 abuts against one side of the cylinder support 4, and then pass one end of the lead screw 45 through the connecting hole 44 and align it with the corresponding end on the cylinder support 4. The threaded groove 46 is then rotated, and the lead screw 45 is gradually screwed into the threaded groove 46. As the lead screw 45 goes deeper, the steering cylinder 41 can be firmly connected to the cylinder support 4. The entire installation process is simple and precise. When disassembling, simply rotate the lead screw 45 in the opposite direction to gradually pull it out of the threaded groove 46. Once the lead screw 45 is completely disengaged from the threaded groove 46, the steering cylinder 41 can be easily removed from the cylinder support 4. This eliminates the need for complicated tools or a lot of effort, greatly improving disassembly and assembly efficiency and reducing maintenance costs.

[0031] It should be noted that the several embodiments shown above in this application are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. It should also be noted that in the textual description of this application, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply such an actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements may include not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus; and, without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0032] Furthermore, those skilled in the art can implement or use this application by practicing the several embodiments shown above. Various modifications to the embodiments shown above will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments not shown without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not to be limited to the several embodiments shown above, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A vehicle drive axle with steering and yaw functions, characterized in that, include: An integrally formed axle housing (1) is provided, on which an integrally formed swing sleeve (11) extends, and on which a pair of steering knuckles (12) located on the left and right sides of the swing sleeve (11) are installed. A main reduction housing (2) is connected to one side of the axle housing (1). A differential assembly (3) is provided on the main reduction housing (2) and is connected to the internal half-shaft of the axle housing (1). A main connecting shaft (21) is rotatably mounted on the main reduction housing (2). One end of the main connecting shaft (21) is fixedly connected to a driving bevel gear (22) for transmission connection with the driven bevel gear on the differential assembly (3). A hydraulic cylinder support (4) is connected on the main reduction housing (2). A steering cylinder (41) is provided between the two ends of the hydraulic cylinder support (4).

2. The automotive drive axle with steering and yaw functions according to claim 1, characterized in that, The two ends of the swing sleeve (11) form a cylindrical groove structure that is interconnected, and a ring-shaped sliding bearing groove is opened in the middle of the inner wall of the cylindrical groove.

3. The automotive drive axle with steering and yaw functions according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main deceleration housing (2) and the axle housing (1) are both planar structures on opposite sides, and the axle housing (1) has an installation port (13) that matches the size of the slot in the main deceleration housing (2).

4. The automotive drive axle with steering and yaw functions according to claim 1, characterized in that, A limiting seat (31) is connected to the bearing surface on one side of the differential assembly (3). The limiting seat (31) is threaded to the threaded port on the main reduction housing (2) by a hexagonal bolt. A lower positioning seat (32) and a locking cover (33) are attached to the bearing surface on the other side of the differential assembly (3). The lower positioning seat (32) is fixedly connected to the side of the main reduction housing (2) connected to the axle housing (1). The locking cover (33) is threaded to the threaded port on the lower positioning seat (32) by a hexagonal bolt.

5. The automotive drive axle with steering and yaw functions according to claim 1, characterized in that, A differential lock mechanism (5) is installed on one side of the main reduction housing (2) to lock and release the differential assembly (3).

6. The automotive drive axle with steering and yaw functions according to claim 1, characterized in that, A positioning mounting ring (42) is fixedly connected to the steering cylinder (41). A plurality of circumferentially distributed arc-shaped protrusions (43) are fixedly connected to the outer contour surface of the positioning mounting ring (42). A concave cross section is formed between each two adjacent arc-shaped protrusions (43) on the outer contour surface of the positioning mounting ring (42).

7. The automotive drive axle with steering and yaw functions according to claim 6, characterized in that, Each of the arc-shaped protrusions (43) is provided with a connecting hole (44), and a lead screw (45) is attached to the inner wall of the connecting hole (44). A threaded groove (46) is provided on one side of the cylinder support (4) to be threadedly connected to the lead screw (45).

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