Wheel module and automotive vehicle comprising same

Abstract

The present embodiments provide a wheel module and an automotive vehicle comprising same, the wheel module comprising: a wheel assembly comprising a road wheel, a driving motor, and a brake; a frame unit comprising a lower arm which couples to a vehicle body, a knuckle to which the wheel assembly is coupled, and which is rotatably coupled to the lower arm, and a suspension; and a steering motor which couples to the vehicle body and rotates the frame unit.

Description

Wheel module and vehicle including same

[0001] The present embodiments relate to a wheel module and a vehicle including the same, and more particularly, to a wheel module and a vehicle including the same that enable a compact structural design through optimization of the arrangement of parts that efficiently utilize space within a road wheel and a vehicle body.

[0002] In general, automobiles are equipped with a drive system in which power generated from an engine is transmitted to the road wheels through power transmission devices such as a crankshaft and a transmission, a steering system to control the direction of travel of the vehicle, a braking system to control the speed of the vehicle, and a suspension system to absorb shock from the road surface caused by driving.

[0003] Additionally, electric vehicles that use electric motors instead of engines have been developed and used recently, and in-wheel motor systems that mount electric motors on road wheels are also being developed.

[0004] These in-wheel motor systems have recently been developed into wheel modules that incorporate steering, braking, and suspension systems in a single road wheel. This has the advantage of utilizing space within the vehicle as there is no need for a power transmission structure from the engine to the road wheel as is found in existing automobiles.

[0005] However, since each road wheel is equipped with a steering system, braking system, and suspension system, efficient structural design and parts arrangement are required.

[0006] The present embodiments are conceived against the background described above, and relate to a wheel module capable of a compact structural design through optimization of component arrangement that efficiently utilizes space within a road wheel and a vehicle body, and to a vehicle including the same.

[0007] According to the present embodiments, a wheel module may be provided, which includes a wheel assembly including a road wheel, a drive motor, and a brake, a lower arm coupled to a vehicle body, a knuckle to which the wheel assembly is coupled and rotatably coupled to the lower arm, and a frame portion including a suspension, and a steering motor coupled to the vehicle body and rotating the frame portion.

[0008] In addition, according to the present embodiments, a vehicle can be provided that includes a wheel assembly including a road wheel, a drive motor, and a brake, a lower arm coupled to a body, a knuckle to which the wheel assembly is coupled and rotatably coupled to the lower arm, and a frame including a suspension, and a wheel module coupled to the body and including a steering motor that rotates the frame.

[0009] According to these embodiments, a compact structural design is possible through optimization of component layout that efficiently utilizes the space within the road wheel and body.

[0010] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a wheel module according to the present embodiments.

[0011] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a wheel module according to the present embodiments.

[0012] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a part of a wheel module according to the present embodiments.

[0013] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of a wheel module according to the present embodiments.

[0014] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a part of a wheel module according to the present embodiments.

[0015] Figure 6 is a perspective view of a part of a wheel module according to the present embodiments.

[0016] Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to exemplary drawings. When adding reference numerals to components in each drawing, identical components may have the same numerals as much as possible even if they are shown in different drawings. In addition, when describing the present embodiments, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known configuration or function may obscure the gist of the technical idea of ​​the present invention, the detailed description may be omitted. When "includes," "has," "consists of," etc. are used in this specification, other parts may be added unless "only" is used. When a component is expressed in the singular, it may include a case in which the plural is included unless specifically stated otherwise.

[0017] Additionally, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used to describe components of the present disclosure. These terms are only intended to distinguish the components from other components, and the nature, order, sequence, or number of the components are not limited by the terms.

[0018] In a description of the positional relationship of components, when it is described that two or more components are "connected," "combined," or "connected," it should be understood that the two or more components may be directly "connected," "combined," or "connected," but that the two or more components may also be further "interposed" with another component to be "connected," "combined," or "connected." Here, the other component may be included in one or more of the two or more components that are "connected," "combined," or "connected" to each other.

[0019] In the description of the temporal flow relationship related to components, operation methods, or manufacturing methods, for example, when the temporal or flow relationship is described as “after”, “following”, “next to”, “before”, etc., it may also include cases where it is not continuous, unless “immediately” or “directly” is used.

[0020] Meanwhile, when numerical values ​​or corresponding information (e.g., levels, etc.) for components are mentioned, even without separate explicit description, the numerical values ​​or corresponding information may be interpreted as including an error range that may occur due to various factors (e.g., process factors, internal or external impact, noise, etc.).

[0021] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a wheel module according to the present embodiments, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a wheel module according to the present embodiments, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a part of a wheel module according to the present embodiments, FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a part of a wheel module according to the present embodiments, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a part of a wheel module according to the present embodiments, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a part of a wheel module according to the present embodiments.

[0022] According to the present embodiments, a wheel module (100) may be provided, which includes a wheel assembly (110) including a road wheel (111), a driving motor (112), and a brake (113), a lower arm (126) coupled to a vehicle body, a knuckle (125) to which the wheel assembly (110) is coupled and rotatably coupled to the lower arm (126), a frame portion (120) including a suspension (123), and a steering motor (130) coupled to the vehicle body and rotating the frame portion (120). In addition, a vehicle including a wheel module (100) according to the present embodiments may be provided.

[0023] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the wheel module (100) according to the present embodiments includes a wheel assembly (110), a frame portion (120), and a steering motor (130), and the wheel assembly (110) includes a load wheel (111), a driving motor (112), and a brake (113).

[0024] The frame (120) includes a lower arm (126), a knuckle (125), and a suspension (123), and the wheel assembly (110) rotates and steering is performed by the torque provided to the frame (120) by the steering motor (130).

[0025] The drive motor (112) and the brake (113) directly generate driving force to rotate the road wheel (111) and braking force to stop the road wheel (111), respectively. In addition, the suspension (123) absorbs shock from the ground to improve riding comfort.

[0026] In one embodiment, the knuckle (125) is connected to the lower arm (126) by a ball joint. The ball joint connecting the knuckle (125) and the lower arm (126) is provided coaxially with the rotation axis of the steering motor (130), so that the knuckle (125) is rotated relative to the lower arm (126) by the torque of the steering motor (130).

[0027] Accordingly, the wheel assembly (110) coupled to the knuckle (125) rotates and steering is performed. As shown in the drawing, the lower arm (126) may be coupled to the knuckle (125) at one end by a ball joint, and the other end may be coupled to the vehicle body by a ball joint.

[0028] The steering motor (130) is coupled to the vehicle body and provides torque to rotate the frame portion (120). That is, when the wheel assembly (110) rotates and steering is performed, the steering motor (130) is coupled to and fixed to the vehicle body.

[0029] In one embodiment, the steering motor (130) may be provided with a coupling bracket (131) to which the vehicle body is coupled. The coupling bracket (131) is coupled and fixed to the vehicle body, and the wheel assembly (110) is rotated and steering is performed by torque provided by the steering motor (130) fixed to the vehicle body by the coupling bracket (131).

[0030] According to one embodiment, the wheel module (100) according to the present embodiments is provided in a state in which a wheel assembly (110), a frame portion (120), and a steering motor (130) are combined (see FIG. 2), and can be assembled to a vehicle body in a manner in which the steering motor (130) is combined to the vehicle body frame.

[0031] The wheel assembly (110) includes a road wheel (111), a drive motor (112), and a brake (113). As will be described in detail later, since the drive motor (112) and the brake (113) are provided inside the rim of the road wheel (111), a compact component arrangement design that reduces the overall volume of the wheel module (100) according to the present embodiments is possible.

[0032] Accordingly, the space occupied by the wheel module (100) according to the present embodiments in the vehicle body is reduced, and the degree of freedom in vehicle design is improved.

[0033] In one embodiment, the frame portion (120) may include an upper frame (121) to which a steering motor (130) is coupled, a lower frame (122) hinge-coupled to the upper frame (121), and an upper arm (123) whose ends are hinge-coupled to the knuckle (125) and the lower frame (122).

[0034] The upper frame (121), lower frame (122), and upper arm (123) can be hinged together in a roughly “ㄷ” shape as shown in the drawing.

[0035] In one embodiment, the suspension (123) may be connected at both ends to the knuckle (125) and the upper frame (121). That is, the upper frame (121) and the knuckle (125) are connected to the suspension (123), and the lower frame (122) and the upper arm (123).

[0036] The lower frame (122) and the upper arm (123) are connected to the upper frame (121) and the knuckle (125) through a hinge joint, so that the suspension (123) can contract and easily absorb shock from the ground.

[0037] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, according to one embodiment, the steering motor (130) may be coupled to the upper frame (121) via a hub bearing (132). According to one embodiment, a first coupling member (141) may be provided that couples the hub bearing (132) and the upper frame (121).

[0038] The inner ring of the hub bearing (132) is coupled to the upper frame (121) by a first coupling member (141), and the outer ring of the hub bearing (132) can be coupled to a coupling bracket (131) coupled to a steering motor (130). The first coupling member (141) may be a bolt as illustrated in the drawing.

[0039] According to one embodiment, the wheel module (100) can be assembled to the vehicle body by first coupling the steering motor (130) to which the hub bearing (132) is coupled to the vehicle body frame, and then coupling the upper frame (121) to the hub bearing (132) using the first coupling member (141).

[0040] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 6, according to one embodiment, a second coupling member (142) may be provided that couples the wheel assembly (110) and the knuckle (125).

[0041] As will be described in detail later, the wheel assembly (110) is provided with a fourth connecting member (442) that connects the back plate (422), the bracket (114), and the outer ring (512) of the bearing (510), and the rear end of the fourth connecting member (442) is provided to penetrate the knuckle (125), and the second connecting member (142) is connected to the fourth connecting member (442), so that the wheel assembly (110) and the knuckle (125) can be connected. As illustrated in the drawing, the second connecting member (142) may be a nut connected to the fourth connecting member (442).

[0042] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, according to one embodiment, the drive motor (112) may include a rotor (411) coupled to the inside of the rim of the road wheel (111), and a stator (412) coupled to the knuckle (125).

[0043] As will be described in detail later, the rotor (411) is coupled to the rim of the road wheel (111) by the third coupling member (441), and the stator (412) can be coupled to the knuckle (125) via the bracket (114). Therefore, the road wheel (111) rotates together with the rotor (411) by the operation of the drive motor (112). The drive motor (112) is an external rotation motor in which the rotor (411) is provided on the outside of the stator (412) and coupled to the road wheel (111). The external rotation motor has the advantage of having a higher output density than the internal rotation motor because it has a larger number of permanent magnets.

[0044] In addition, as will be described later, there is an advantage in that a compact structural design is possible by utilizing the accommodation space (401) formed at the center of the stator (412).

[0045] According to one embodiment, an axially open receiving space (401) is formed at the center of the stator (412), and the brake (113) can be received in the receiving space (401).

[0046] Since the drive motor (112) is an external rotation motor with the rotor (411) positioned on the outside and the stator (412) positioned on the inside, a receiving space (401) can be formed in the center of the stator (412) to receive a brake (113). The brake (113) can apply braking force to the rotor (411).

[0047] In one embodiment, the brake (113) may be a drum brake. Commonly used brakes include drum brakes and disc brakes. While disc brakes generally have higher braking power, the caliper provided in disc brakes hinders the space utilization of the wheel module.

[0048] Therefore, by utilizing a drum brake (113) as the brake (113) provided in the wheel module (100) according to the present embodiments, a compact structural design is possible by installing the brake (113) in the receiving space of the stator (412). As illustrated in FIG. 5, the driving motor (112) and the brake (113) are both installed in the receiving space (401), thereby minimizing the space occupied by the wheel assembly (110).

[0049] In one embodiment, the brake (113) may include a drum (421) that rotates integrally with the rotor (411), and a back plate (422) that is coupled to the stator (412).

[0050] The drum (421) is coupled to the rotor (411) by a third coupling member (441) to be described later and rotates together, and the back plate (422) is coupled to the stator (412) by a fourth coupling member (442) to be described later. A brake shoe that comes into contact with the drum (421) and generates frictional force is provided inside the brake (113), but is omitted in FIG. 5 for convenience of illustration.

[0051] In one embodiment, the wheel assembly (110) may further include a bracket (114) that covers the receiving space (401) and is coupled to the stator (412), the back plate (422), and the knuckle. By the bracket (114), the drive motor (112) and the brake (113) received in the receiving space (401) are fixed to the road wheel (111).

[0052] In one embodiment, the bracket (114) may include a body portion (431) coupled with a knuckle (125), and a coupling portion (432) extending from the body portion (431) and coupled to a stator (412). The body portion (431) may be coupled to the knuckle (125) by a second coupling member (142) and a fourth coupling member (442), and the coupling portion (432) may be coupled to the stator (412) by a bolt.

[0053] The connecting portion (432) is formed to extend in the radial direction from the body portion (431), and four of them can be provided as shown in the drawing.

[0054] Referring to FIG. 5, according to one embodiment, the wheel assembly (110) may include a bearing (510) including a road wheel (111), an inner ring (511) to which a rotor (411) of a drive motor (112) and a brake (113) and a drum (421) are coupled, and an outer ring (512) to which a back plate (422) of the brake (113) and a bracket (114) are coupled.

[0055] Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a wheel assembly (110) along line AA'. A road wheel (111), a rotor (411), and a drum (421) are coupled to and rotate the inner ring (511) of a bearing (510). In addition, a back plate (422) and a bracket (114) are coupled to the outer ring (512) of the bearing (510).

[0056] According to one embodiment, a third coupling member (441) may be provided that couples the load wheel (111), the rotor (411) of the drive motor (112), the drum (421) of the brake (113), and the inner ring (511) of the bearing (510).

[0057] The third coupling member (441) may be provided to penetrate the rim, rotor (411), drum (421), and inner ring (511) of the load wheel (111) as shown in the drawing. By the third coupling member (441), the torque of the driving motor (112) is transmitted to the load wheel (111) and drum (421) to rotate them.

[0058] In one embodiment, a fourth connecting member (442) may be provided that connects the back plate (422) of the brake (113), the bracket (114), and the outer ring (512) of the bearing (510). The fourth connecting member (442) may be provided to penetrate the back plate (422), the body portion (431) of the bracket (114), and the outer ring (512) as illustrated in the drawing.

[0059] And, as described above, the rear end of the fourth connecting member (442) is provided to protrude from the back surface of the body portion (431), so that the second connecting member (142) is connected to the rear end of the fourth connecting member (442) penetrating the knuckle (125), and the wheel assembly (110) and the knuckle (125) can be connected.

[0060] Meanwhile, referring to FIGS. 2 and 6, a coupling hole (115) may be formed in the stator (412) to which a connector (611) of a wire assembly (610) for supplying power to the stator (412) is coupled. The wire assembly (610) includes a wire and a connector (611) that are connected to a power supply unit and an electronic control unit mounted on a vehicle. The connector (611) is coupled to the coupling hole (115) and can supply three-phase power to the stator (412).

[0061] In one embodiment, a guide member (210) may be provided to guide the wire path of the wire assembly (610). The guide member (210) guides the wire path to prevent interference between the wire and surrounding components when steering of the wheel module (100) according to the present embodiments is performed.

[0062] For example, the guide member (210) can be formed in a T-shape to guide the path by pressing the wire against the upper surface of the lower arm (126), or can guide the path by pressing the wire against the back surface of the knuckle (125) (see FIG. 6).

[0063] According to a wheel module having such a structure and a vehicle including the same, a compact structural design is possible through optimization of the arrangement of parts that efficiently utilize the space within the road wheel and the vehicle body.

[0064] The above description is merely an example of the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure, and those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains will appreciate that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the essential characteristics of the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure. In addition, the present embodiments are not intended to limit the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure but rather to explain it, and therefore the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure is not limited by these embodiments. The scope of protection of the present disclosure should be interpreted by the claims below, and all technical ideas within a scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the rights of the present disclosure.

[0065]

[0066] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0067] This patent application claims priority under 35 USC § 119(a) to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0114566, filed in Korea on August 30, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Furthermore, this patent application claims priority in countries other than the United States for the same reasons, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. Wheel assembly including a road wheel, a drive motor, and a brake; A frame portion including a lower arm coupled to a body, a knuckle to which the wheel assembly is coupled and rotatably coupled to the lower arm, and a suspension; A steering motor coupled to the body and rotating the frame portion; Wheel module including.

2. In paragraph 1, A wheel module characterized in that the above knuckle is connected to the lower arm by a ball joint.

3. In paragraph 1, A wheel module characterized in that the steering motor is provided with a coupling bracket that is coupled to the vehicle body.

4. In paragraph 1, The above frame part, A wheel module comprising an upper frame to which the steering motor is coupled, a lower frame hingedly coupled to the upper frame, and an upper arm whose ends are hingedly coupled to the knuckle and the lower frame.

5. In paragraph 4, A wheel module characterized in that both ends of the above suspension are connected to the above knuckle and the upper frame.

6. In paragraph 4, A wheel module characterized in that the steering motor is coupled to the upper frame via a hub bearing.

7. In paragraph 6, A wheel module further comprising a first connecting member that connects the hub bearing and the upper frame.

8. In paragraph 1, A wheel module further comprising a second connecting member for connecting the wheel assembly and the knuckle.

9. In paragraph 1, The above driving motor, a rotor coupled to the inside of the rim of the above road wheel; and A stator coupled to the above knuckle; Wheel module including.

10. In paragraph 9, A wheel module characterized in that an axially open receiving space is formed at the center of the stator, and the brake is received in the receiving space.

11. In paragraph 10, A wheel module characterized in that the above brake is a drum brake.

12. In paragraph 11, The above brakes are, A drum that rotates integrally with the rotor; and A back plate coupled to the above stator; Wheel module including.

13. In paragraph 12, The above wheel assembly, A wheel module further comprising a bracket covering the above-described accommodation space and coupled to the stator, back plate and knuckle.

14. In paragraph 13, The above brackets are, a body portion coupled with the above knuckle; and A coupling portion extending from the above body portion and coupled to the stator; Wheel module including.

15. In paragraph 13, The above wheel assembly, A wheel module including a bearing including an inner ring to which the rotor of the driving motor and the drum of the brake are coupled, and an outer ring to which the back plate of the brake and the bracket are coupled.

16. In paragraph 15, A wheel module further comprising a third connecting member that connects the above-described road wheel, the rotor of the driving motor, the drum of the brake, and the inner ring of the bearing.

17. In paragraph 15, A wheel module further comprising a fourth connecting member that connects the back plate of the brake, the bracket, and the outer ring of the bearing.

18. In paragraph 9, A wheel module characterized in that the stator has a connecting portion formed therein to which a connector of a wire assembly for supplying power to the stator is connected.

19. In paragraph 18, A wheel module characterized in that a guide member is provided for guiding the wire path of the above wire assembly.

20. A vehicle comprising a wheel module according to paragraph 1.

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