Steering system and vehicle

Abstract

A steering system and a vehicle, the steering system including a steering gear body (1) having a steering gear input shaft (111) and a gear shaft (105), a separation mechanism (2) for connecting or disconnecting the steering gear input shaft (111) and the gear shaft (105), and a limiting mechanism (4) for limiting the rotation angle range of the steering gear input shaft (111) when at least one of the steering gear input shaft (111) and the gear shaft (105) is disconnected and the steering gear input shaft (111) is connected to the gear shaft (105). The steering system can prevent the wheels from rotating with the steering wheel after the vehicle enters a game mode, thereby effectively preventing wheel wear.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] (Cross - reference to related applications) This application is based on and claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202011361233.6, titled "Steering System and Vehicle", filed on November 27, 2020, and all of its contents are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This application relates to the technical field of automobiles, and specifically, to a steering system and a vehicle.

Background Art

[0003] With the improvement of living standards, in - vehicle entertainment devices have increasingly become an important means to improve the competitiveness of vehicle models. Currently, applications for passenger entertainment in the market are generally developed based on in - vehicle pads. Therefore, the spatial position of the pad is relatively fixed, the operation interaction means is single, and it is inconvenient to play games, etc.

[0004] In recent years, in - vehicle entertainment applications based on interactive steering wheels have been continuously developed. Such games need to be combined with the vehicle steering system. However, the mechanical steering gear and the steering column used in the prior art cannot be separated, that is, the steering system still has a complete mechanical connection relationship. When playing game entertainment, when the driver rotates the steering wheel, the tires will rotate accordingly, which will inevitably cause severe wear of the tires and pose potential safety risks.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to overcome the above - mentioned technical problems existing in the prior art, this application provides a steering system that can avoid the rotation of the wheels following the steering wheel after the automobile enters the game mode and effectively prevent the wear of the wheels.

[0006] To achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present application provides a steering system including: a steering gear main body having a steering gear input shaft and a gear shaft; a separation mechanism for separating or connecting the steering gear input shaft and the gear shaft; and a limiting mechanism for limiting the rotation angle range of the steering gear input shaft in at least one of the separation of the steering gear input shaft and the gear shaft and the connection of the steering gear input shaft and the gear shaft.

[0007] In some embodiments, the steering gear input shaft is provided coaxially with the gear shaft. The separation mechanism includes a separation slide sleeve and a separation shaft. The separation slide sleeve is externally fitted on one of the steering gear input shaft and the gear shaft, and the separation shaft is provided on the other of the steering gear input shaft and the gear shaft. The separation slide sleeve is provided to be able to connect / separate the steering gear input shaft and the gear shaft by translating parallel to the axial direction of the steering gear input shaft and the gear shaft to engage with / disengage from the separation shaft.

[0008] In some embodiments, the steering gear input shaft has a hollow structure, and the upper part of the gear shaft extends into the hollow structure. The separation slide sleeve is spline-connected to the lower part of the steering gear input shaft, the lower part of the separation shaft is spline-connected to the upper part of the gear shaft and locked to the upper part of the gear shaft by a first lock nut. The separation slide sleeve has first dog teeth, the separation shaft has second dog teeth, and the separation slide sleeve connects / separates the steering gear input shaft and the gear shaft by translating parallel to the axial direction of the steering gear input shaft and the gear shaft to engage with / disengage the first dog teeth and the second dog teeth.

[0009] In some embodiments, the upper part of the gear shaft is provided in the hollow structure at the lower part of the steering gear input shaft by a first needle roller bearing.

[0010] In some embodiments, the steering gear body further includes a housing, and the lower part of the steering gear input shaft and the gear shaft are rotatably mounted axially within the housing.

[0011] In some embodiments, the separation mechanism further includes a drive transmission mechanism that drives the separation slide sleeve to move axially along the steering gear input shaft and the gear shaft to engage / disengage with the separation shaft.

[0012] In some embodiments, the drive transmission mechanism includes a first power element that provides driving force, and a transmission turning member that converts the rotational driving force output from the first power element into axial parallel movement of the separation slide sleeve.

[0013] In some embodiments, the transmission turning member includes a parent screw connected to the output shaft of the first power element so as to rotate synchronously, and a shift fork screw-connected to the parent screw. When the separation slide sleeve is fitted into the shift fork end of the shift fork, the separation slide sleeve can rotate synchronously with the steering gear input shaft and can move axially along the steering gear input shaft.

[0014] In some embodiments, a separation bearing is coaxially provided outside the separation slide sleeve, a drive block is fixedly connected to the outer ring of the separation bearing, and by the drive block being fixedly provided on the shift fork, the drive of the transmission turning member drives the separation slide sleeve to move axially in parallel.

[0015] In some embodiments, one side of the inner ring of the separation bearing abuts against the shoulder of the separation slide sleeve, and the other side is axially restricted by a third retaining ring. One side of the outer ring of the separation bearing abuts against the shoulder of the drive block, and the other side is axially restricted by a second retaining ring.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first power element is fixedly provided on the housing. An opening is provided in the housing. The opening is provided such that the shift fork is connected to the separation slide sleeve through the opening and can axially translate at the opening.

[0017] In some embodiments, the steering system further includes an operating feel feedback mechanism. When the input shaft of the steering gear and the gear shaft are separated, the operating feel feedback mechanism applies a feedback torque to the input shaft of the steering gear, thereby improving the operating feel of the steering wheel transmission-connected to the input shaft of the steering gear.

[0018] In some embodiments, the operating feel feedback mechanism includes a second power element that provides a driving force, and a transmission mechanism that transmits the driving force to the input shaft of the steering gear and applies a feedback torque in the reverse direction to the input shaft of the steering gear.

[0019] In some embodiments, the transmission mechanism includes a driving pulley connected to rotate synchronously with the output shaft of the second power element. A driven pulley is connected to the driving pulley via a belt. The driven pulley is connected to the input shaft of the steering gear via a driven pulley bearing and is provided so as to be able to mesh with / disengage from the separation slide sleeve.

[0020] In some embodiments, a belt retaining ring is provided on the side of the driven pulley close to the separation slide sleeve.

[0021] In some embodiments, one side of the outer ring of the driven pulley bearing abuts against the shoulder of the driven pulley, and the other side is axially restricted by a fourth retaining ring. One side of the inner ring of the driven pulley bearing abuts against the shoulder of the steering gear input shaft, and the other side is axially restricted by a second snap ring.

[0022] In some embodiments, the second power element is fixedly attached to the housing by a bracket.

[0023] In some embodiments, the limiting mechanism includes a limiting disk and a limiting guide rail externally fitted on the steering gear input shaft. The limiting disk is provided so as to be able to rotate with the steering gear input shaft. A spiral groove is formed in the limiting disk, and a limiting stopper is provided. The limiting guide rail is fixed to the housing, and a limiting slider is slidably provided in the limiting guide rail. The limiting slider has a guide pin inserted into the spiral groove and a limiting boss adapted to the limiting stopper.

[0024] In some embodiments, the limiting mechanism includes a first limiting pin provided in the housing and a second limiting pin provided on the separation slide sleeve. The second limiting pin can abut against the first limiting pin to stop the steering gear input shaft when the steering gear input shaft rotates to the limit position.

[0025] In some embodiments, the steering system further includes a state detection mechanism for detecting the separation or connection state between the gear shaft and the steering gear input shaft.

[0026] In some embodiments, the state detection mechanism includes a Hall sensor and a magnetic steel. The Hall sensor is provided on the housing. A press-fitted steel sleeve is provided on the shift fork, and the magnetic steel is provided in the gap between the press-fitted steel sleeve and the shift fork.

[0027] Based on the steering system according to the first aspect of the present application, the second aspect of the present application provides a vehicle including the steering system described in the first aspect of the present application.

[0028] Using the above technical means, the present application mainly has the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art.

[0029] The input shaft and the gear shaft of the steering gear of the steering system of the present application are separated or connected by a separation mechanism. When the input shaft and the gear shaft of the steering gear are connected, the vehicle enters the normal driving mode. When the steering wheel rotates, it drives the input shaft of the steering gear to rotate and drives the gear shaft to rotate together by the separation mechanism. The user can operate to rotate the steering wheel to drive the wheels to be steered. When the input shaft and the gear shaft of the steering gear are separated, the vehicle enters the game mode. When the steering wheel rotates, it drives the input shaft of the steering gear to rotate, but the gear shaft is separated from the input shaft of the steering gear, so it is not driven to rotate by the input shaft of the steering gear. As a result, the rotational torque of the vehicle's steering wheel is not transmitted to the wheels to drive the wheels to be steered, thereby improving the wear condition of the wheels.

[0030] The above description is only an overview of the technical means of the present application. In order to understand the technical means of the present application more clearly, it can be implemented based on the content of the specification. In order to make the above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present application more understandable, the following specific embodiments of the present application are specifically listed.

[0031] The drawings provide a further understanding of the present application and form a part of the specification. They are used to explain the present application together with the following specific embodiments, but do not limit the present application.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0032]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0033] In order to make the objectives, technical means, and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, hereinafter, while referring to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application, the technical means in the embodiments will be clearly and completely described. The following embodiments are for explaining the present application, but do not limit the scope of the present application.

[0034] In the description of the present application, the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is merely for facilitating the description and simplifying the explanation of the present application, and does not indicate or imply that the shown device or component must have a specific orientation and be configured and operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be understood as limiting the present application.

[0035] An automotive steering system can realize the transmission connection between the steering wheel and the wheels. When a user operates to rotate the steering wheel, the automotive steering system drives the wheels to deflect, thereby realizing the control of the driving direction of the vehicle.

[0036] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, the present application provides a steering system including a steering gear main body 1 and a separation mechanism 2. The steering gear main body 1 has a steering gear input shaft 111 and a gear shaft 105, and the separation mechanism 2 separates or connects the steering gear input shaft 111 and the gear shaft 105.

[0037] The steering gear input shaft 111 and the gear shaft 105 are separated or connected by a separation mechanism 2. When the steering gear input shaft 111 and the gear shaft 105 are connected, the vehicle enters the normal driving mode. When the steering wheel rotates, it drives the steering gear input shaft 111 to rotate and simultaneously drives the gear shaft 105 to rotate by the separation mechanism 2. The user can operate to rotate the steering wheel to drive the wheels to be steered. When the steering gear input shaft 111 and the gear shaft 105 are separated, the vehicle enters the game mode. When the steering wheel rotates, it drives the steering gear input shaft 111 to rotate, but since the gear shaft 105 is separated from the steering gear input shaft 111, it is not driven to rotate by the steering gear input shaft 111. Thus, the rotational torque of the vehicle's steering wheel is not transmitted to the wheels to drive the wheels to be steered, thereby improving the wear condition of the wheels.

[0038] The specific structure of the above separation mechanism 2 may be of multiple types. The present application will hereinafter show specific embodiments of the separation mechanism 2. Naturally, the structure of the above separation mechanism 2 is not limited thereto.

[0039] Specifically, the above steering gear input shaft 111 is provided coaxially with the above gear shaft 105. The separation mechanism 2 includes a separation slide sleeve 210 and a separation shaft 211. The separation slide sleeve 210 is externally fitted to one of the above steering gear input shaft 111 and the above gear shaft 105, and the separation shaft 211 is provided on the other of the above steering gear input shaft 111 and the above gear shaft 105. The separation slide sleeve 210 is provided to be able to connect or separate the above steering gear input shaft 111 and the above gear shaft 105 by translating parallel to the axial direction of the above steering gear input shaft 111 and the above gear shaft 105 to engage with or disengage from the above separation shaft 211.

[0040] When connecting the steering gear input shaft 111 and the gear shaft 105 using the separation mechanism 2, it is necessary for the steering gear input shaft 111 and the gear shaft 105 to be in a centered state with respect to each other. Otherwise, the separation mechanism 2 cannot achieve a smooth connection between the steering gear input shaft 111 and the gear shaft 105.

[0041] In some embodiments of the present application, the steering gear input shaft 111 has a hollow structure, and the upper part of the gear shaft 105 extends into the hollow structure, thereby ensuring that the steering gear input shaft 111 is coaxial with the gear shaft 105. In some embodiments, the upper part of the gear shaft 105 is provided in the hollow structure at the lower part of the steering gear input shaft 111 by a first needle roller bearing 110.

[0042] The separation slide sleeve 210 is spline-connected to the lower part of the steering gear input shaft 111, the lower part of the separation shaft 211 is spline-connected to the upper part of the gear shaft 105, and is locked to the upper part of the gear shaft 105 by a first lock nut 109. The separation slide sleeve 210 has first dog teeth, the separation shaft 211 has second dog teeth, and the separation slide sleeve 210 is driven to move parallel along the axial direction of the steering gear input shaft 111 and the gear shaft 105, so that the first dog teeth mesh with the second dog teeth to connect the steering gear input shaft 111 and the gear shaft 105, or the first dog teeth disengage from the second dog teeth to separate the steering gear input shaft 111 and the gear shaft 105.

[0043] The lower part of the separation shaft 211 is attached to the gear shaft 105 by splines, and the separation shaft 211 is pressed against the gear shaft 105 using the first lock nut 109 to achieve positioning of the lower part of the separation shaft 211. The separation slide sleeve 210 is attached to the lower part of the steering gear input shaft 111 by splines. The first dog teeth are provided on the side of the separation slide sleeve 210 close to the separation shaft 211, and the second dog teeth adapted to the first dog teeth are provided on the separation shaft 211.

[0044] When the separation slide sleeve 210 moves parallel along the axial direction of the steering gear input shaft 111 and the gear shaft 105 until the first dog teeth and the second dog teeth mesh, when the steering gear input shaft 111 is connected to the gear shaft 105, the vehicle enters the normal driving mode. When the steering wheel rotates, it drives the steering gear input shaft 111 to rotate, and together with the separation mechanism 2, it drives the gear shaft 105 to rotate. The user can operate to rotate the steering wheel to drive the wheels to be steered.

[0045] When the separation slide sleeve 210 moves parallel along the axial direction of the steering gear input shaft 111 and the gear shaft 105 until the first dog teeth and the second dog teeth disengage, when the steering gear input shaft 111 and the gear shaft 105 are separated, the vehicle enters the game mode. When the steering wheel rotates, it drives the steering gear input shaft 111 to rotate. However, since the gear shaft 105 is separated from the steering gear input shaft 111, it is not driven to rotate by the steering gear input shaft 111. Thus, it is not possible to drive the rotation torque of the vehicle's steering wheel to be transmitted to the wheels to steer the wheels, thereby improving the wear condition of the wheel tires.

[0046] In the embodiment of the present application, the separation mechanism 2 uses a dog clutch structure, but other rigid clutches may be used instead. The form of an electromagnetic clutch may be used to directly drive an electromagnet to achieve separation. The advantage is that the first power element 201 can be reduced, but the cost may increase. The description is omitted here, and the user can select by himself according to actual needs.

[0047] In some embodiments, the separation mechanism 2 further includes a drive transmission mechanism that drives the separation slide sleeve 210 to move parallel along the axial direction of the steering gear input shaft 111 and the gear shaft 105 to engage with / disengage from the lower part of the separation shaft 211.

[0048] The drive transmission mechanism includes a first power element 201 and a transmission and turning member. The first power element 201 provides a driving force. Here, the first power element 201 may be a first motor. The transmission and turning member converts the rotational driving force output from the first power element 201 into a parallel movement in the axial direction of the separation slide sleeve 210.

[0049] Specifically, the transmission and turning member includes a parent screw 204 connected to the output shaft of the first power element 201 to rotate synchronously, and a shift fork 206 connected to the parent screw 204. The shift fork 206 is a nut shift fork, which engages with the parent screw 204 to form a screw pair, converting the rotational movement of the first power element 201 into a parallel movement in the axial direction of the shift fork 206. By fitting the separation slide sleeve 210 into the shift fork end of the shift fork 206, the separation slide sleeve 210 can rotate synchronously with the steering gear input shaft 111 and can move parallel along the axial direction of the steering gear input shaft 111.

[0050] The axial direction of the parent screw 204 is parallel to the axial directions of the steering gear input shaft 111 and the gear shaft 105. The first motor may be connected to the controller, and the controller may be a one-chip microcomputer, a programmable logic controller, etc. The controller can receive a separation or connection signal and control the energization and rotation of the first motor based on the separation or connection signal. When the first motor is energized and rotates, the parent screw 204 rotates synchronously therewith and drives the shift fork 206 to translate parallel along the axial direction of the parent screw 204. When the shift fork 206 translates parallel in the axial direction, the separation slide sleeve 210 is driven to translate parallel in the axial direction therewith to engage with or disengage from the separation shaft 211, thereby connecting or separating the steering gear input shaft 111 and the gear shaft 105.

[0051] The transmission and steering member in the embodiment of the present application is a screw pair. Naturally, a worm gear pair or a rack and pinion may also be used. In the present application, it is only necessary to be able to realize the conversion of the rotational motion of the motor into the linear motion required for the separation slide sleeve 210, and it is not specifically limited here.

[0052] In order to realize that the separation slide sleeve 210 not only rotates synchronously with the steering gear input shaft 111 but also can translate parallel along the axial direction of the steering gear input shaft 111, a separation bearing 207 is coaxially provided outside the separation slide sleeve 210, a driving block 205 is fixedly connected to the outer ring of the separation bearing 207, and the driving block 205 is fixedly provided on the shift fork 206, so as to drive the separation slide sleeve 210 to translate parallel in the axial direction by the drive of the transmission and steering member.

[0053] The drive transmission mechanism is electrically connected to the control device and needs to be unable to rotate along with the rotation of the separation slide sleeve 210. Therefore, when the separation slide sleeve 210 rotates synchronously along with the steering gear input shaft 111, only the inner ring of the separation bearing 207 rotates along with the separation slide sleeve 210, but the outer ring of the separation bearing 207 is not affected. Since the drive transmission mechanism is connected to the outer ring of the separation bearing 207, it is not affected by the rotation of the separation slide sleeve 210. That is, by providing the separation bearing 207, the axial rotation of the separation slide sleeve 210 is not transmitted to the drive transmission mechanism, thus avoiding driving the separation slide sleeve 210 to rotate the drive member.

[0054] In this way, the drive transmission mechanism drives the separation bearing 207 to translate parallel along the axial direction of the steering gear input shaft 111, so as to drive the separation slide sleeve 210 to translate parallel along the axial direction of the steering gear input shaft 111 and engage or disengage with the separation shaft 211, thereby realizing the connection or separation between the steering gear input shaft 111 and the gear shaft 105.

[0055] To realize the relative positioning between the separation bearing 207 and the separation slide sleeve 210, one side of the inner ring of the separation bearing 207 abuts against the shoulder of the separation slide sleeve 210, and the other side is axially limited by the third retaining ring 209. One side of the outer ring of the separation bearing 207 abuts against the shoulder of the drive block 205, and the other side is axially limited by the second retaining ring 208. In this way, the separation slide sleeve 210 can not only rotate synchronously along with the steering gear input shaft 111, but also translate parallel along the axial direction of the steering gear input shaft 111.

[0056] Specifically, the steering gear main body 1 further includes a housing, and the lower part of the steering gear input shaft 111 and the gear shaft 105 are rotatably mounted axially within the housing. The housing includes a lower housing 101 fixedly connected to the subframe and an upper housing 102 provided on the lower housing 101.

[0057] The rack 103 can move relatively parallel within the lower housing 101 by means of sliding bearings on both the left and right sides. The gear shaft 105 meshes with the rack 103 to transmit the steering driving force. The lower part of the gear shaft 105 is fitted with the lower housing 101 by a second needle roller bearing 104. The middle part of the gear shaft 105 is fitted with the lower housing 101 by a first bearing 106. The first bearing 106 is mounted within the lower housing 101. The outer ring of the first bearing 106 is axially positioned by a second lock nut 107. One side of the inner ring of the first bearing 106 abuts against the shoulder of the gear shaft 105, and the other side is axially positioned by a third lock nut 108, thereby realizing the positioning of the gear shaft 105.

[0058] The upper part of the steering gear input shaft 111 is fitted and positioned with the upper housing 102 by a second bearing 112. The second bearing 112 is mounted within the upper housing 102. The outer ring of the second bearing 112 is axially positioned by a first retaining ring 113. One side of the inner ring abuts against the upper shoulder of the steering gear input shaft 111, and the other side is axially positioned by a first snap ring 114, thereby realizing the positioning of the steering gear input shaft 111. The oil seal 115 is press-fitted into the upper housing 102. The inner ring of the oil seal 115 is fitted with the steering gear input shaft 111 to realize the sealing function at the upper end.

[0059] In order to facilitate the installation of the above drive transmission mechanism, the first power element 201 is attached to the upper housing 102 by a first bolt 203, and the sealed end cover 202 is fixedly connected to the upper housing 102 and the lower housing 101 respectively. The use of such a design structure is mainly for easy assembly. In order to realize the connection between the shift fork 206 and the disengaging slide sleeve 210, an opening is provided in the upper housing 102. The opening is provided such that the shift fork 206 is connected to the disengaging slide sleeve 210 through the opening and can move axially in the opening.

[0060] When the separation mechanism 2 separates the gear shaft 105 and the steering gear input shaft 111, the vehicle enters the game mode. However, in the game mode, when the user operates the steering wheel, there is no resistance, which affects the operation feeling of the steering wheel and reduces the user's entertainment experience.

[0061] To solve this technical problem, the steering system according to the present application further includes an operation feeling feedback mechanism 3. When the gear shaft 105 and the steering gear input shaft 111 are separated, the operation feeling feedback mechanism 3 applies a feedback torque to the steering gear input shaft 111, thereby improving the operation feeling of the steering wheel transmission-connected to the steering gear input shaft 111, improving the experience effect when the user operates the steering wheel of the vehicle to perform game entertainment, and improving the authenticity of the vehicle game simulation.

[0062] The structure of the operation feeling feedback mechanism 3 may be of multiple types. In one embodiment of the present application, the operation feeling feedback mechanism 3 includes a second power element 301 and a transmission mechanism. The second power element 301 provides a driving force. Here, the second power element 301 may be a second motor. The transmission mechanism transmits the driving force to the steering gear input shaft 111 and applies a reverse feedback torque to the steering gear input shaft 111.

[0063] Specifically, the second power element 301 is fixedly attached to the upper housing 102 by a bracket 302 and a first screw 303. The transmission mechanism includes a drive pulley 305 connected to the output shaft of the second power element 301 so as to rotate synchronously. A driven pulley 306 is connected to the drive pulley 305 via a belt 304 to transmit power. The driven pulley 306 is connected to the steering gear input shaft 111 via a driven pulley bearing 307 and is located above the disengaging slide sleeve 210. The driven pulley 306 meshes with the disengaging slide sleeve 210.

[0064] A belt retaining ring 308 is provided on the side of the driven pulley 306 close to the disengaging slide sleeve 210. One side of the outer ring of the driven pulley bearing 307 abuts against the shoulder of the driven pulley 306, and the other side is axially restricted by a fourth retaining ring 309. One side of the inner ring of the driven pulley bearing 307 abuts against the shoulder of the steering gear input shaft 111, and the other side is axially restricted by a second snap ring 310, thereby realizing the relative positioning between the driven pulley 306 and the steering gear input shaft 111.

[0065] After the steering separation function is executed, the disengaging slide sleeve 210 axially translates in a direction away from the separation shaft 211 until it disengages from the lower part of the separation shaft 211. At this time, the steering gear input shaft 111 separates from the gear shaft 105. Both the disengaging slide sleeve 210 and the driven pulley 306 have mating triangular dog teeth, and the triangular dog teeth mesh at this time. The torque feedback of the second motor is transmitted to the driven pulley 306 by the meshing of the drive pulley 305 and the belt 304. The driven pulley 306 transmits the torque to the disengaging slide sleeve 210 by the meshing of the triangular dog teeth. Since the disengaging slide sleeve 210 is connected to the steering gear input shaft 111 by a spline, road feedback simulation is applied to the handle end.

[0066] In some embodiments, the operation feeling feedback mechanism 3 may further include a torque sensor. The torque sensor detects the torsional moment of the steering gear input shaft 111 in the separated state, and the controller can change the driving force output from the second motor by controlling the input current of the second motor based on the magnitude of the detected torsional moment.

[0067] The operation feeling feedback mechanism 3 in the embodiments of the present application may select a pulley to perform torque transmission, may perform torque transmission using single-stage or multi-stage gear transmission, or may perform large reduction ratio transmission using a worm gear or the like to reduce the performance requirements for the motor.

[0068] In one embodiment of the present application, the steering system may further include a limiting mechanism 4. When the steering gear input shaft 111 is connected to the gear shaft 105, the limiting mechanism 4 not only limits the rotation angle range of the steering gear input shaft 111, but also can limit the rotation angle range of the steering gear input shaft 111 when the steering gear input shaft 111 is separated from the gear shaft 105.

[0069] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the limiting mechanism 4 is located above the separation slide sleeve 210. The limiting mechanism 4 includes a limiting disk 401 and a limiting guide rail 402 externally fitted on the steering gear input shaft 111. The limiting disk 401 is provided so as to be able to rotate along with the steering gear input shaft 111. A spiral groove is formed in the limiting disk 401, and a limiting stopper is provided. The limiting guide rail 402 is fixedly attached to the upper housing 102 by a second screw 403, and a limiting slider 404 is slidably provided in the limiting guide rail 402. The limiting slider 404 has a guide pin inserted into the spiral groove, can freely slide along the guide rail direction, and can be biased and wear-resistant by an elastic coating in the axial direction. A limiting boss adapted to the limiting stopper is further provided on the limiting slider 404.

[0070] When the gear shaft 105 and the steering gear input shaft 111 are separated, the vehicle enters the game mode. When the steering wheel rotates, the steering gear input shaft 111 rotates along with it and drives the limiting disk 401 to rotate. Since the limiting disk 401 has spiral grooves inside, a thrust along the guide rail direction is generated against the guide pin of the limiting slider 404 during rotation. When the number of rotations reaches the designed limit value, the limiting slider 404 moves along the guide rail direction to a position where the limiting stopper on the limiting disk 401 abuts exactly against the limiting boss on the limiting slider 404. At this time, the steering wheel cannot continue to rotate with the allowable torque of the structural strength, thereby realizing the steering limiting function, improving the user experience, and helping to protect the clock spring.

[0071] The above-mentioned limiting mechanism 4 in the embodiment of the present application is not limited to using the structure described in the embodiment. This embodiment is one choice when the arrangement space is limited. Furthermore, structures such as a differential gear reduction structure with a small number of teeth difference and a nut screw limiting device may be used, as long as they pass the strength verification and are used on the premise that the arrangement space is sufficient.

[0072] In another embodiment of the present application, the above-mentioned steering system may further include a limiting mechanism 4. In this embodiment, the above-mentioned limiting mechanism 4 can limit the rotation angle range of the steering gear input shaft 111 only when the steering gear input shaft 111 and the gear shaft 105 are in a separated state.

[0073] Regarding the steering systems in the prior art, generally, the maximum number of rotations is set for all of them. On the one hand, it is based on the operating feeling of the steering operation, and on the other hand, it is to avoid the occurrence of frictional collisions between the peripheral parts due to the excessive rotation angle of the wheels. The general commercially available steering gear limiting method generally achieves the limitation on the rotation of the steering wheel by restricting the movement space of the rack. The steering rack of a general mechanical steering gear is screw-connected to the ball pin sleeve, and the ball pin sleeve is fitted with the ball head pull rod to transmit the steering driving force to the wheels. When the rack moves to the limit, the end face of the ball pin sleeve contacts the housing, and by preventing the rack from continuing to move, the limitation on the steering angle is realized.

[0074] However, after the separation mechanism 2 realizes the separation of the steering gear input shaft 111 and the gear shaft 105, when the power transmission path is cut off from the rack, the rack limiting structure cannot limit the angle of the steering wheel. At this time, the clock spring assembly inside the steering wheel may be damaged due to the number of rotations exceeding the limit, and the functions of many electronic keys on the steering wheel may become invalid.

[0075] To solve the above technical problems, the steering system described in the present application further includes a limiting mechanism 4 for limiting the rotation angle range of the steering gear input shaft 111 when the gear shaft 105 and the steering gear input shaft 111 are separated, so as to avoid the destruction of assemblies such as the clock spring due to the excessive steering angle by the driver in the steering separation operation situation.

[0076] As shown in FIGS. 9 to 15, in this embodiment, a limiting mechanism 4 is attached to the separating mechanism 2. The limiting mechanism 4 ensures that the rotation angle of the steering wheel is restricted after the steering system is separated, can avoid the risk of damage to assemblies such as clock springs after being steered and separated, is designed to act when being steered and separated, has a high space utilization rate, and does not affect the steering limit in the normal driving process.

[0077] The above-mentioned limiting mechanism 4 includes a first limiting pin 405 provided in the housing and a second limiting pin 406 provided on the separating slide sleeve 210. When the steering gear input shaft 111 rotates to the limit position, the second limiting pin 406 can abut against the first limiting pin 405 to stop the steering gear input shaft 111.

[0078] The first limiting pin 405 is installed in the housing and locked by a second bolt 407. The second limiting pin 406 is provided on the separating slide sleeve 210, rotates with the separating slide sleeve 210, and after separation, cooperates with the first limiting pin 405 to realize the angle limiting function.

[0079] The separation function of the separation mechanism 2 in this application is mainly realized by a screw pair. Specifically, when the parent screw 204 coaxial with the output shaft of the first motor rotates, since the degrees of freedom of the shift fork 206 and the parent screw 204 are limited, the shift fork 206 performs a linear motion on the parent screw 204. At this time, the shift fork 206 drives the drive block 205 to cooperate with the separation bearing 207 to translate the separation slide sleeve 210 in the axial direction. When the separation slide sleeve 210 rises, it disengages from the separation shaft 211 and is connected to the operation feeling feedback mechanism 3. Since the second limiting pin 406 is provided on the separation slide sleeve 210, the second limiting pin 406 and the first limiting pin 405 also form a separation relationship. Only when the steering system is in the separated state, the second limiting pin 406 is in the same horizontal plane as the first limiting pin 405 and performs the function of limiting the steering angle.

[0080] As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, when the gear shaft 105 is connected to the steering gear input shaft 111, that is, when the separation slide sleeve 210 is at the bottom dead center, the limiting mechanism 4 is in the separated state, that is, the second limiting pin 406 and the first limiting pin 405 are not in the same horizontal plane. At this time, the separation slide sleeve 210 can freely rotate along with the steering gear input shaft 111, and the angle limitation can be realized by the steering gear rack.

[0081] As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, when the gear shaft 105 is separated from the steering gear input shaft 111, that is, when the separation slide sleeve 210 is at the top dead center, the limiting mechanism 4 is in the connected state, that is, the second limiting pin 406 and the first limiting pin 405 are in the same horizontal plane. At this time, when the steering gear input shaft 111 rotates, the separation slide sleeve 210 rotates along with it and drives the second limiting pin 406 to rotate. When the rotation angle of the handle end reaches the design target of 360 - α / 2 degrees, the second limiting pin 406 abuts against the first limiting pin 405 to stop the steering gear input shaft 111, and the separation slide sleeve 210 cannot continue to rotate, realizing the function of limiting the steering angle.

[0082] The advantages of the above-mentioned limiting mechanism 4 in this embodiment are that the structure is simple, the reliability is high, and the separation function does not affect the steering limitation in the normal driving process, improving the fault tolerance of the system. Moreover, it does not increase any axial space in the axial direction and is easy to assemble.

[0083] In this embodiment, the shapes of the first limiting pin 405 and the second limiting pin 406 are not specifically limited, not limited to the pins with rectangular cross-sections in the figure, and can also be processed into pins with different shapes with better force-bearing conditions. Also, in this application, the limiting angle α is not specifically limited and is set according to the requirement of the rotation angle of the game handle when actually steering and separating. As shown in FIG. 12 or FIG. 15, the two side walls of the first limiting pin 405 may be processed into inclined surfaces. Naturally, the second limiting pin 406 may also be processed into an inclined surface, as long as the contact area is sufficient and the strength meets the requirements.

[0084] It should be noted that the above-mentioned limiting mechanism 4 only exerts a limiting effect when the steering gear input shaft 111 and the gear shaft 105 are in a separated state. When the handle is not separated and the vehicle is in a normal driving state, the limiting mechanism 4 does not limit the handle. The rotation limit position of the vehicle's handle is limited by the conventional known limiting system in this field and will not be described in detail here.

[0085] As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the above-mentioned steering system further includes a state detection mechanism for detecting the separated or connected state between the above-mentioned gear shaft 105 and the above-mentioned steering gear input shaft 111. The above-mentioned state detection mechanism determines whether the steering system makes a reliable connection by detecting the position of the separation slide sleeve 210, provides a state input for the game vehicle system to execute the separation function, and ensures that when an abnormal separation occurs, the entire vehicle can respond in a timely manner and execute fault handling means such as parking, improving the safety of the vehicle.

[0086] The above state detection mechanism includes a Hall sensor 503 and a magnetic steel 502. The Hall sensor 503 is fastened to the upper housing 102 by bolts and sealed by an O-ring. The magnetic steel 502 is provided in the gap between the press-fitted steel sleeve 501 and the shift fork 206 to ensure consistency with the movement of the shift fork 206.

[0087] The magnetic steel 502 is inserted into the press-fitted steel sleeve 501 and provided on the shift fork 206 to ensure consistency in the movement relationship between the magnetic steel 502 and the separation slide sleeve 210. The main reason for using such an assembly method is that when applied to different vehicle models, there are limitations in the layout space, and the relative positional relationship between the shift fork 206 and the Hall sensor 503 is different. In order to ensure the versatility of the shift fork 206, the magnetic steel 502 is assembled by a post-press-fitting method, that is, the shift fork 206 can guarantee the versatility of the mold by post-processing the press-fitting groove.

[0088] The Hall sensor 503 can detect the position of the magnetic steel 502. As shown in FIG. 17, when the separation slide sleeve 210 is at the bottom dead center, the separation slide sleeve 210 meshes with the lower part of the separation shaft 211 and is pressed by the shift fork 206. At this time, the Hall sensor 503 transmits the connection state to the system controller and the vehicle-wide related modules.

[0089] As shown in FIG. 18, when the shift fork 206 is driven by the second motor, the separation slide sleeve 210 moves upward and disengages from the separation shaft 211, and the steering system is in a separated state. At this time, the magnetic steel 502 is at the top dead center position, and the Hall sensor 503 transmits the separated state to the system controller and the vehicle-wide related modules.

[0090] The state detection mechanism described in this application is not limited to using the Hall principle, and the principle of contact measurement may also be used, as long as the detection of the position of the separation slide sleeve 210 can be realized.

[0091] In addition, when using the state detection mechanism described in this embodiment, the operation feeling feedback mechanism 3 can be eliminated. Since the steering system is adapted to a vehicle using C-EPS and the driving operation feeling is feedback by the C-EPS motor, from the perspective of cost, by eliminating the operation feeling feedback mechanism 3 inside the steering system and adjusting the C-EPS program to develop the game operation feeling, a considerable amount of hardware cost can be reduced, and the development cost of the split type steering gear controller can also be reduced.

[0092] Further, based on the steering system according to the first aspect of the embodiment of the present application, the second aspect of the embodiment of the present application provides a vehicle including the steering system described in the first aspect of the embodiment of the present application.

[0093] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present application and does not limit the present application in any form. The above preferred embodiments are disclosed in the present application but do not limit the present application. Those skilled in the art can, without departing from the scope of the technical means of the present application, use the above-disclosed technical content to make changes or modifications to equivalent embodiments with equivalent changes. However, any simple corrections, equivalent changes, and modifications made to the above embodiments in accordance with the technical idea of the present application as long as they do not depart from the content of the technical means of the present application should all be included within the scope of the technical means of the present application.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0094] 1 Steering gear body 101 Lower housing 102 Upper housing 103 Rack 104 Second needle roller bearing 105 Gear shaft 106 First bearing 107 Second lock nut 108 Third lock nut 109 First lock nut 110 First needle roller bearing 111 Steering gear input shaft 112 Second bearing 113 First retaining ring 114 First snap ring 115 Oil seal 2 Separation mechanism 201 First power element 202 Sealed end cover 203 First bolt 204 Female screw 205 Drive block 206 Shift fork 207 Separation bearing 208 Second retaining ring 209 Third retaining ring 210 Separation slide sleeve 211 Separation shaft 3 Operating feeling feedback mechanism 301 Second power element 302 Bracket 303 First screw 304 Belt 305 Driving pulley 306 Driven pulley 307 Driven pulley bearing 308 Belt retaining ring 309 Fourth retaining ring 310 Second snap ring 4 Limiting mechanism 401 Limiting disc 402 Limiting guide rail 403 Second screw 404 Limiting slider 405 First limiting pin 406 Second limiting pin 407 Second bolt 501 Press-fitted steel sleeve 502 Magnetic steel 503 Hall sensor

Claims

1. A steering gear body (1) having a steering gear input shaft (111) and a gear shaft (105); a separation mechanism (2) for separating or connecting the steering gear input shaft (111) and the gear shaft (105); a limiting mechanism (4) that limits a rotation angle range of the steering gear input shaft (111) when at least one of the steering gear input shaft (111) and the gear shaft (105) is separated and the steering gear input shaft (111) and the gear shaft (105) are connected, The steering gear input shaft (111) is provided coaxially with the gear shaft (105), the separation mechanism (2) includes a separation slide sleeve (210) and a separation shaft (211), the separation slide sleeve (210) is fitted onto one of the steering gear input shaft (111) and the gear shaft (105), and the separation shaft (211) is provided on the other of the steering gear input shaft (111) and the gear shaft (105), the separation slide sleeve (210) is arranged to move in parallel along the axial direction of the steering gear input shaft (111) and the gear shaft (105) to engage with / disengage from the separation shaft (211), thereby connecting / disconnecting the steering gear input shaft (111) and the gear shaft (105); The steering gear input shaft (111) has a hollow structure, and an upper portion of the gear shaft (105) extends into the hollow structure; a separate sliding sleeve (210) splined to a lower part of the steering gear input shaft (111), a lower part of the separate shaft (211) splined to an upper part of the gear shaft (105) and locked to the upper part of the gear shaft (105) by a first lock nut (109), the separate sliding sleeve (210) has first dog teeth, the separate shaft (211) has second dog teeth, and the separate sliding sleeve (210) moves in parallel along an axial direction of the steering gear input shaft (111) and the gear shaft (105) to engage / disengage the first dog teeth and the second dog teeth, thereby connecting / separating the steering gear input shaft (111) and the gear shaft (105).

2. 2. The steering system according to claim 1, characterized in that an upper part of the gear shaft (105) is mounted in the hollow structure of the lower part of the steering gear input shaft (111) by a first needle roller bearing (110).

3. 3. The steering system according to claim 2, wherein the steering gear body (1) further includes a housing, and a lower portion of the steering gear input shaft (111) and the gear shaft (105) are axially rotatably mounted within the housing.

4. 4. The steering system according to claim 3, wherein the separation mechanism (2) further includes a drive transmission mechanism for driving the separation slide sleeve (210) to move in parallel along the axial direction of the steering gear input shaft (111) and the gear shaft (105) to engage / disengage with the separation shaft (211).

5. The drive transmission mechanism includes: A first power element (201) that provides a driving force; 5. The steering system according to claim 4, further comprising a transmission rolling member for converting a rotational driving force output from the first power element (201) into an axial translational movement of the separated slide sleeve (210).

6. 6. The steering system according to claim 5, wherein the transmission rolling member includes a lead screw (204) connected to the output shaft of the first power element (201) so as to rotate synchronously with the output shaft, and a shift fork (206) threadedly connected to the lead screw (204), and the separated slide sleeve (210) is fitted into the shift fork end of the shift fork (206), so that the separated slide sleeve (210) can rotate synchronously with the steering gear input shaft (111) and can move parallel along the axial direction of the steering gear input shaft (111).

7. 7. The steering system according to claim 6, wherein a separate bearing (207) is coaxially provided on the outside of the separate slide sleeve (210), a drive block (205) is fixedly connected to an outer ring of the separate bearing (207), and the drive block (205) is fixedly provided on the shift fork (206), so that the separate slide sleeve (210) is driven to move in parallel in the axial direction by driving the transmission rolling member.

8. 8. The steering system according to claim 7, wherein an inner ring of the separated bearing (207) abuts against the shoulder of the separated sliding sleeve (210) on one side and is axially restricted by a third retaining ring (209) on the other side, and an outer ring of the separated bearing (207) abuts against the shoulder of the drive block (205) on one side and is axially restricted by a second retaining ring (208) on the other side.

9. 9. The steering system according to claim 6, wherein the first power element (201) is fixedly mounted to the housing, and an opening is provided in the housing, the opening being such that the shift fork (206) is connected to the separating slide sleeve (210) through the opening and can translate axially in the opening.

10. 10. The steering system according to claim 9, further comprising an operation feel feedback mechanism that applies a feedback torque to the steering gear input shaft (111) when the steering gear input shaft (111) and the gear shaft (105) are separated, thereby improving the operation feel of a steering wheel that is transmission-connected to the steering gear input shaft (111).

11. The operation feeling feedback mechanism includes: A second power element (301) that provides a driving force; a transmission mechanism for transmitting the drive force to the steering gear input shaft (111) and applying a feedback torque in a reverse direction to the steering gear input shaft (111).

12. The steering system according to claim 11, characterized in that the transmission mechanism includes a drive pulley (305) connected to the output shaft of the second power element (301) for synchronous rotation, a driven pulley (306) connected to the drive pulley (305) via a belt (304), and the driven pulley (306) is connected to the steering gear input shaft (111) via a driven pulley bearing (307) and is configured so as to be able to mesh with / disengage from a separation slide sleeve (210).

13. 13. The steering system of claim 12, further comprising a belt snap ring (308) on the side of the driven pulley (306) adjacent the separating sliding sleeve (210).

14. 13. The steering system according to claim 12, wherein an outer ring of the driven pulley bearing (307) abuts against a shoulder of the driven pulley (306) on one side and is axially restricted by a fourth retaining ring (309) on the other side, and an inner ring of the driven pulley bearing (307) abuts against a shoulder of the steering gear input shaft (111) on one side and is axially restricted by a second snap ring (310) on the other side.

15. A steering system according to any one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that the second power element (301) is fixedly attached to the housing by a bracket (302).

16. The limiting mechanism (4) includes a limiting disk (401) and a limiting guide rail (402) fitted onto the steering gear input shaft (111), The steering system according to any one of claims 9 to 15, characterized in that the limit disc (401) is arranged so as to be able to rotate along with the steering gear input shaft (111), a spiral groove is formed in the limit disc (401) and a limit stopper is provided, the limit guide rail (402) is fixed to the housing and a limit slider (404) is slidably provided within the limit guide rail (402), and the limit slider (404) has a guide pin inserted into the spiral groove and is provided with a limit boss that fits the limit stopper.

17. The steering system according to any one of claims 9 to 15, characterized in that the limiting mechanism (4) includes a first limiting pin (405) provided in the housing and a second limiting pin (406) provided on the separated slide sleeve (210), and the second limiting pin (406) can abut against the first limiting pin (405) to stop the steering gear input shaft (111) when the steering gear input shaft (111) rotates to a limit position.

18. The steering system according to any one of claims 9 to 15, further comprising a state detection mechanism for detecting a separation or connection state between the gear shaft (105) and the steering gear input shaft (111).

19. 19. The steering system according to claim 18, wherein the state detection mechanism includes a Hall sensor (503) and a magnetic steel (502), the Hall sensor (503) is provided in the housing, a pressed-fit steel sleeve (501) is provided in the shift fork (206), and the magnetic steel (502) is provided in a gap between the pressed-fit steel sleeve (501) and the shift fork (206).

20. A vehicle comprising a steering system according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

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