An angular module steering mechanism based on a rolling screw pair

Abstract

This application discloses a corner module steering mechanism based on a rolling screw pair, comprising: a drive motor fixedly mounted on the vehicle body; a steering knuckle connected to the wheel hub, the steering knuckle having a steering arm and a lower connection point formed thereon, a steering tie rod connected to the steering arm, and the lower connection point being the lower point of the kingpin; and a rolling screw pair connected to the vehicle body, comprising a screw, a nut, and rolling elements, the nut being fitted onto the screw, the rolling elements being disposed between the nut and the screw, the nut being connected to the output end of the drive motor, and one end of the screw being connected to the steering tie rod, the screw being configured to move linearly only along the axial direction of the nut; when the wheel steers, the drive motor drives the nut to rotate and transmits the rotation through the rolling elements, causing the screw to move axially, which in turn drives the steering knuckle to rotate around the kingpin via the steering tie rod. This application eliminates the complex piping and pump structure of the hydraulic system, resulting in a simple and compact structure, and eliminating the possibility of hydraulic oil leakage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of automotive corner module technology, and in particular discloses a corner module steering mechanism based on a rolling screw pair. Background Technology

[0002] In vehicle steering systems, traditional hydraulic power steering systems have long been widely used in various vehicles. However, these systems typically rely on complex hydraulic lines and pumps to provide steering assistance, which results in a large overall structural footprint and the risk of hydraulic oil leakage, affecting the long-term reliability and environmental friendliness of the system. In addition, hydraulic systems have many mechanical transmission layers and transmission gaps between components, which can easily cause steering response delays, especially at high speeds, resulting in insufficient vehicle stability and handling precision.

[0003] As the automotive industry moves towards intelligence and modularization, current technologies are focused on integrating steering and drive systems, such as using corner module designs to integrate drive and steering functions. This reduces system size, improves response speed, and enhances high-speed stability. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an electric steering device that is simple in structure, direct in transmission, highly stable at high speeds, and precisely controlled to solve the aforementioned problems.

[0004] Based on this, the applicant provides an angular module steering mechanism based on a rolling lead screw pair. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide an angular module steering mechanism based on a rolling lead screw pair.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted in this application is as follows: a corner module steering mechanism based on a rolling screw pair, comprising: a drive motor, the drive motor being fixedly mounted on the vehicle body; a steering knuckle, the steering knuckle being connected to the wheel hub, the steering knuckle having a steering arm and a lower connection point formed thereon, the steering arm being connected to a steering tie rod, the lower connection point being the lower point of the kingpin; a rolling screw pair, the rolling screw pair being connected to the vehicle body, the rolling screw pair including a screw, a nut, and rolling elements, the nut being sleeved on the screw, the rolling elements being disposed between the nut and the screw, the nut being connected to the output end of the drive motor, one end of the screw being connected to the steering tie rod, the screw being configured to move linearly only along the axial direction of the nut; when the wheel steers, the drive motor drives the nut to rotate and transmits the rotation through the rolling elements, causing the screw to move axially, which in turn drives the steering knuckle to rotate around the kingpin through the steering tie rod.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment, the lead screw has a first interface at one end, the steering tie rod has a first ball joint at one end and a second interface at the other end, the steering arm has a second ball joint, the first ball joint is hinged to the first interface, and the second ball joint is hinged to the second interface.

[0008] Further preferably, a stop ring is provided at the end of the lead screw away from the first interface, and the distance between the stop ring and the first interface is not less than the maximum movement length of the lead screw during wheel steering.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment, the rolling element comprises balls or rollers.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment, a synchronous pulley is provided on the output shaft of the drive motor, and the outer surface of the nut is provided with a toothed structure. The synchronous pulley and the nut are connected by a transmission belt. When the wheel turns, the drive motor runs, and the synchronous pulley and the nut rotate synchronously.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment, the vehicle body includes a bracket, which is fixedly mounted on the vehicle body. A protective housing is fixedly mounted on the bracket, the drive motor is fixedly mounted on the protective housing, and a nut is connected to the protective housing.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment, a shock absorber is mounted on the upper part of the steering knuckle, the steering arm is located on one side of the middle part of the steering knuckle, and the lower connection point is located at the lower part of the steering knuckle. During wheel steering, the steering tie rod is located between the shock absorber and the lower connection point.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment, the steering arm extends toward the inside of the vehicle body, and the outer end of the steering arm is located inside the inner side of the wheel hub.

[0014] More preferably, the outer end of the steering arm is further away from the inner side of the wheel hub relative to the lower connection point.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment, the drive motor is connected to the vehicle control system. When steering, the vehicle control system detects the direction of steering wheel rotation and controls the drive motor to rotate forward or backward, thereby controlling the direction of wheel rotation.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this application are as follows: (1) This application adopts a rolling screw pair as the transmission core, which directly converts the rotational motion of the drive motor into the linear motion of the screw, eliminating the complex pipeline and pump structure in the traditional hydraulic system. The overall structure is simpler and more compact, and is particularly suitable for highly integrated corner module layout, effectively saving chassis space. At the same time, it adopts a completely mechanical and electric transmission method, eliminating the need for hydraulic components, fundamentally eliminating the possibility of hydraulic oil leakage, and improving the reliability and environmental adaptability of the system.

[0017] (2) The transmission structure in this application includes only a rolling screw pair and a steering tie rod. It has fewer transmission levels and higher transmission efficiency. With the precise control of the nut by the drive motor, it can achieve a fast and accurate response of the axial displacement of the screw, effectively overcoming the steering delay problem caused by the large number of transmission levels and large gaps in traditional hydraulic systems, and improving the directional stability and handling of the vehicle at high speed. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 This is an exploded three-dimensional view of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the drive motor and the rolling screw assembly of this utility model.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the steering knuckle, wheel hub, and shock absorber of this utility model in their assembled state.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the steering tie rod of this utility model.

[0024] In the diagram: 1. Drive motor; 11. Synchronous pulley; 2. Rolling lead screw pair; 21. Nut; 22. Lead screw; 221. First interface; 222. Stop ring; 3. Drive belt; 4. Steering tie rod; 41. First ball joint; 42. Second interface; 5. Steering knuckle; 51. Steering arm; 52. Second ball joint; 53. Lower connection point; 6. Wheel hub; 7. Bracket; 8. Protective housing; 9. Shock absorber. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The present application will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments. It should be noted that, without conflict, the various embodiments or technical features described below can be arbitrarily combined to form new embodiments.

[0026] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "center", "lateral", "longitudinal", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc., which indicate the orientation and positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and 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 should not be construed as limiting the specific protection scope of this application.

[0027] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0028] The terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, in the specification and claims of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, for example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units that are explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or that are inherent to such process, method, product, or device.

[0029] A preferred embodiment of this application, such as Figures 1 to 6 As shown, a cornering mechanism based on a rolling screw pair includes: a drive motor 1, which is fixedly mounted on the vehicle body; a steering knuckle 5, which is connected to a wheel hub 6, and has a steering arm 51 and a lower connection point 53 formed thereon, with a steering tie rod 4 connected to the steering arm 51, and the lower connection point 53 being the lower point of the kingpin; and a rolling screw pair 2, which is connected to the vehicle body, and includes a screw 22, a nut 21, and rolling elements, with the nut 21 sleeved on the screw 22, and rolling elements disposed between the nut 21 and the screw 22, the nut 21 being connected to the output end of the drive motor 1, and one end of the screw 22 being connected to the steering tie rod 4, the screw 22 being configured to move linearly only along the axial direction of the nut 21; when the wheel turns, the drive motor 1 drives the nut 21 to rotate and transmits the rotation through the rolling elements, causing the screw 22 to move axially, which in turn drives the steering knuckle 5 to rotate around the kingpin through the steering tie rod 4.

[0030] This application uses a rolling screw pair 2 as the transmission core, directly converting the rotational motion of the drive motor 1 into the linear motion of the screw 22. This eliminates the complex piping and pump structure of traditional hydraulic systems, resulting in a simpler and more compact overall structure. It is particularly suitable for highly integrated corner module layouts, effectively saving chassis space. At the same time, it adopts a completely mechanical and electric transmission method, eliminating the need for hydraulic components and fundamentally eliminating the possibility of hydraulic oil leakage, thus improving the system's reliability and environmental adaptability. The transmission structure in this application only includes the rolling screw pair 2 and the steering tie rod 4, with fewer transmission levels and higher transmission efficiency. Combined with the precise control of the nut 21 by the drive motor 1, it can achieve a fast and accurate response to the axial displacement of the screw 22, effectively overcoming the steering delay problem caused by the multiple transmission levels and large clearances in traditional hydraulic systems, and improving the directional stability and handling of the vehicle at high speeds.

[0031] Furthermore, it can be clearly stated that in this application, the nut 21 only rotates, the lead screw 22 only moves linearly along the axis of the nut 21, and the steering tie rod 4 is directly connected to one end of the lead screw 22. With this configuration, the steering tie rod 4 will not interfere with the lead screw 22 and the nut 21 during the rotation of the wheel.

[0032] If the same function can be achieved by rotating the lead screw 22 and moving the nut 21, the steering tie rod 4 needs to be connected to the nut 21. In this case, the lead screw 22 will interfere with the steering tie rod 4 during movement. To avoid this interference, a radial connection structure needs to be set on the nut 21 to connect with the steering tie rod 4, so as to ensure that the steering tie rod 4 does not interfere with the lead screw 22 during steering. Alternatively, an avoidance sleeve needs to be fixed on the nut 21. The avoidance sleeve is fitted on the lead screw 22, and the steering tie rod 4 is set at the end of the avoidance sleeve. Although this setting can ensure that interference is avoided, the length of the avoidance sleeve must be at least equal to the maximum stroke of the nut 21, which will significantly increase the size of the entire structure, which is not a very reasonable choice.

[0033] In this embodiment, specifically, one end of the lead screw 22 is provided with a first interface 221, one end of the steering tie rod 4 is provided with a first ball joint 41, the other end is provided with a second interface 42, and the steering arm 51 is provided with a second ball joint 52. The first ball joint 41 is hinged to the first interface 221, and the second ball joint 52 is hinged to the second interface 42. This ensures that the steering tie rod 4 can deflect during the steering process, so that the wheels can turn smoothly.

[0034] Of course, in other embodiments, the ball joint connection scheme of this embodiment may not be used, and a bushing connection or other methods may be used. The specific connection method can be adjusted by those skilled in the art according to actual needs.

[0035] Furthermore, a stop ring 222 is provided at the end of the lead screw 22 away from the first interface 221. The distance between the stop ring 222 and the first interface 221 is not less than the maximum travel length of the lead screw 22 during wheel steering. The setting of the stop ring 222 avoids the risk that the lead screw 22 may come off the nut 21. At the same time, through the size design, the length of the lead screw 22 is not less than the maximum value of its travel stroke. This can ensure the reliability of the lead screw 22 and also meet the requirements of the maximum wheel steering.

[0036] In this embodiment, the rolling element includes balls or rollers, that is, a ball screw 22 nut 21 structure or a roller screw 22 nut 21 structure is adopted.

[0037] In this embodiment, a synchronous pulley 11 is provided on the output shaft of the drive motor 1, and a toothed structure is provided on the outer surface of the nut 21. The synchronous pulley 11 and the nut 21 are connected by a transmission belt 3. When the wheel turns, the drive motor 1 runs, and the synchronous pulley 11 and the nut 21 rotate synchronously. It can be understood that the synchronous pulley 11 has a toothed structure on its outer side, and the transmission belt 3 also has a toothed structure. The toothed structures of these three components are the same, which can achieve smooth meshing. Through the toothed meshing, the synchronous rotation of the synchronous pulley 11 and the nut 21 can be ensured.

[0038] Of course, in another embodiment, the nut 21 can be driven to rotate directly by the synchronous wheel 11, or other synchronous transmission methods can be set. The specific structural design can be selected by those skilled in the art.

[0039] The vehicle body includes a bracket 7, which is fixedly installed on the vehicle body. A protective housing 8 is fixedly installed on the bracket 7. The drive motor 1 is fixedly installed on the protective housing 8 by bolts. One end of the nut 21 is fixedly connected to the protective housing 8, and it can rotate itself. This arrangement ensures that the drive motor 1 and the nut 21 do not shift during wheel steering. At the same time, the protective housing 8 can cover the nut 21 and the synchronous pulley 11 to prevent damage from stones or other objects during driving.

[0040] In this embodiment, a shock absorber 9 is installed on the upper part of the steering knuckle 5, and the steering arm 51 is located on one side of the middle part of the steering knuckle 5. The steering arm 51 extends towards the inside of the vehicle body, and the outer end of the steering arm 51 is located inside the inner side of the wheel hub 6. The outer end of the steering arm 51 is further away from the inner side of the wheel hub 6 relative to the lower connection point 53. The lower connection point 53 is located at the lower part of the steering knuckle 5. During the wheel steering process, the steering tie rod 4 is located between the shock absorber 9 and the lower connection point 53, so that the steering tie rod 4 does not interfere with the movement of the surrounding parts.

[0041] It is understandable that the drive motor 1 is connected to the vehicle control system. When turning, the vehicle control system detects the direction of steering wheel rotation and controls the drive motor 1 to rotate forward or backward, thereby controlling the direction of wheel rotation.

[0042] The basic principles, main features, and advantages of this application have been described above. Those skilled in the art should understand that this application is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely the principles of this application. Various changes and modifications can be made to this application without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claims. The scope of protection claimed by this application is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An angular module steering mechanism based on a rolling lead screw pair, characterized in that, include: A drive motor is fixedly mounted on the vehicle body; a steering knuckle is connected to the wheel hub, and has a steering arm and a lower connection point formed thereon. A steering tie rod is connected to the steering arm, and the lower connection point is the lower point of the kingpin; a ball screw assembly is connected to the vehicle body, and includes a ball screw, a nut, and rolling elements. The nut is fitted onto the ball screw, and the rolling elements are disposed between the nut and the ball screw. The nut is connected to the output end of the drive motor, and one end of the ball screw is connected to the steering tie rod. The ball screw is configured to move linearly only along the axial direction of the nut; when the wheel turns, the drive motor drives the nut to rotate and transmits the rotation through the rolling elements, causing the ball screw to move axially, which in turn drives the steering knuckle to rotate around the kingpin through the steering tie rod.

2. The angular module steering mechanism based on a rolling screw pair as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The lead screw has a first interface at one end, the steering tie rod has a first ball joint at one end and a second interface at the other end, the steering arm has a second ball joint, the first ball joint is hinged to the first interface, and the second ball joint is hinged to the second interface.

3. The angular module steering mechanism based on a rolling screw pair as described in claim 2, characterized in that, A stop ring is provided at the end of the lead screw away from the first interface, and the distance between the stop ring and the first interface is not less than the maximum movement length of the lead screw during wheel steering.

4. The angular module steering mechanism based on a rolling screw pair as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The rolling element includes balls or rollers.

5. The angular module steering mechanism based on a rolling screw pair as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A synchronous pulley is provided on the output shaft of the drive motor, and a toothed structure is provided on the outer surface of the nut. The synchronous pulley and the nut are connected by a transmission belt. When the wheel turns, the drive motor runs, and the synchronous pulley and the nut rotate synchronously.

6. The angular module steering mechanism based on a rolling screw pair as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The vehicle body includes a bracket, which is fixedly mounted on the vehicle body. A protective housing is fixedly mounted on the bracket, and the drive motor is fixedly mounted on the protective housing. A nut is connected to the protective housing.

7. The angular module steering mechanism based on a rolling screw pair as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A shock absorber is mounted on the upper part of the steering knuckle, the steering arm is located on one side of the middle part of the steering knuckle, and the lower connection point is located at the lower part of the steering knuckle. During wheel steering, the steering tie rod is located between the shock absorber and the lower connection point.

8. The angular module steering mechanism based on a rolling screw pair as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The steering arm extends toward the inside of the vehicle body, and the outer end of the steering arm is located inside the inner side of the wheel hub.

9. The angular module steering mechanism based on a rolling screw pair as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The outer end of the steering arm is further away from the inner side of the wheel hub relative to the lower connection point.

10. The angular module steering mechanism based on a rolling screw pair as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The drive motor is connected to the vehicle control system. When steering, the vehicle control system detects the direction of steering wheel rotation and controls the drive motor to rotate forward or backward, thereby controlling the direction of wheel rotation.

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