Steer-by-wire column with rotation limiting structure, steering system and vehicle

Abstract

A steer-by-wire column with a rotation limiting structure, a steering system and a vehicle. The steer-by-wire column comprises an upper column casing, a steering shaft, a mounting seat and a sliding member, wherein the circumferential side wall of the upper column casing is provided with a mounting opening; the steering shaft is configured to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise in the upper column casing, and the circumferential side wall of the steering shaft is provided with a helical guide groove in the axial direction of the steering shaft; the mounting seat is arranged on the upper column casing and located at the mounting opening, and the mounting seat is provided with a limiting slot in the axial direction of the steering shaft, the limiting slot and the helical guide groove being arranged opposite each other through the mounting opening; and the sliding member is located within both the helical guide groove and the limiting slot. When the steering shaft rotates, the helical guide groove pushes the sliding member to move to an end of the limiting slot, thus limiting the number of rotations of the steering shaft.

Description

Steering column with rotation limiting structure, steering system and vehicle

[0001] The present application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410431621.9, filed on April 10, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of vehicle steering, and in particular to a steer-by-wire steering column with rotation limiting structure, a steering system and a vehicle. BACKGROUND

[0003] In recent years, intelligent driving technology has become increasingly mature, and within the scope allowed by national regulations, full automatic driving has been basically achieved. Vehicles are autonomously reversed, such as turning, lane changing and reversing into a garage, by vehicle-mounted controllers and actuators. With the rapid iteration of steering system technology, technologies and products related to steer-by-wire steering systems have emerged. Compared with traditional steering systems, steer-by-wire steering systems cancel the mechanical connecting members between the steering column and the steering gear (or steering machine), and are replaced by signal transmission to achieve angular transmission and force transmission between the steering wheel and the wheels through electrical transmission devices. SUMMARY

[0004] The present disclosure provides a steer-by-wire steering column with rotation limiting structure, a steering system and a vehicle to solve the problem of limiting the rotation angle of the steer-by-wire steering column in the related art.

[0005] In a first aspect, a steer-by-wire steering column with rotation limiting structure is provided, which includes an upper column barrel, a steering shaft, a mounting seat and a sliding piece. A mounting port is provided on the circumferential side wall of the upper column barrel. The steering shaft is configured to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise within the upper column barrel, and a helical guide groove is provided on the circumferential side wall of the steering shaft along the axis direction thereof. The mounting seat is provided on the upper column barrel and located at the mounting port, and a limiting groove is provided on the mounting seat along the axis direction of the steering shaft. The limiting groove and the helical guide groove are oppositely arranged through the mounting port. The sliding piece is simultaneously located in the helical guide groove and the limiting groove. The helical guide groove is configured to push the sliding piece to move to the end of the limiting groove when the steering shaft rotates, so as to limit the rotation number of the steering shaft.

[0006] According to the above technical means, when the steering shaft rotates clockwise or counterclockwise, the sliding piece moves in the limiting groove under the pushing of the spiral guide groove; when the sliding piece moves to the end of the limiting groove, the sliding piece will no longer continue to move, at this time, the sliding piece reversely limits the continuous rotation of the steering shaft, thereby limiting the rotation number of the steering shaft, ensuring that the rotation of the steer-by-wire column does not exceed the stroke, keeping the steer-by-wire column synchronized with the steering gear signal, and thereby limiting the rotation angle of the steering wheel to ensure the safety of the vehicle in use.

[0007] In some embodiments, the steering shaft satisfies one of the following: the steering shaft includes a steering shaft body and a sleeve sleeved on the steering shaft body, and the spiral guide groove is arranged on the circumferential side wall of the sleeve; or the steering shaft includes a steering shaft body, and the spiral guide groove is arranged on the circumferential side wall of the steering shaft body.

[0008] According to the above technical means, in the case that the spiral guide groove is arranged on the sleeve, when it is necessary to adjust the rotation number of the steering shaft, the sleeve can be replaced to achieve the purpose of rapid changeover, and the pitch of the spiral guide groove arranged on the sleeve is the required pitch, so as to achieve the purpose of rapid changeover. Since the whole steering shaft body does not need to be replaced, it is beneficial to save the changeover cost.

[0009] In the case that the spiral guide groove is arranged on the steering shaft body, it is beneficial to improve the stability of the user rotating the steering wheel to transmit the dynamics through the steering shaft, to ensure that the steer-by-wire column is synchronized with the steering gear signal, and to improve the perception quality of the user.

[0010] In some embodiments, the steer-by-wire column further includes a bearing seat, a shaft sleeve and an elastic roller, the bearing seat is located in the limiting groove, the sliding piece is arranged on the side of the bearing seat facing the steering shaft, the shaft sleeve is sleeved on the bearing seat, and the elastic roller is sleeved on the shaft sleeve, and the elastic roller is configured to move synchronously with the sliding piece in the limiting groove when the steering shaft rotates to drive the sliding piece to move.

[0011] According to the above technical means, it is beneficial to reduce the assembly precision between the spiral guide groove and the limiting groove, to increase the offset activity of the sliding piece, to avoid the sliding piece from being stuck during movement along the spiral guide groove, to reduce the precision of the structural parts processing and assembly, and to reduce the processing and assembly cost.

[0012] In some embodiments, the bearing seat includes a flange plate, a limiting boss and a mounting portion connected in sequence, the shaft sleeve is sleeved on the mounting portion, the flange plate abuts against the side of the mounting seat facing the steering shaft, and the limiting boss is arranged on the two circumferentially opposite side walls which respectively abut against the two inner side walls of the limiting groove opening in the width direction.

[0013] According to the technical means, when the sliding member drives the bearing seat to move synchronously, the structure limits the axial rotation of the bearing seat, avoids the rotation of the bearing seat, and is beneficial to improving the power transmission accuracy of the bearing seat.

[0014] In some embodiments, the bearing seat is provided with a through mounting hole, and the steer-by-wire column further comprises a pressing block slidingly arranged in the mounting hole, a plurality of clamping jaws are arranged on the inner wall of the side of the mounting hole facing the steering shaft in a circumferential distribution, a first accommodating cavity is formed between the side of the pressing block facing the plurality of clamping jaws and the plurality of clamping jaws, and the sliding member is partially located in the first accommodating cavity.

[0015] According to the technical means, the first part of the sliding member is located in the first accommodating cavity, and the second part of the sliding member is located in the spiral guide groove, so that when the sliding member moves under the thrust of the spiral guide groove, the bearing seat can be driven to move synchronously, i.e., the elastic roller can be driven to move synchronously.

[0016] In some embodiments, a guide block is arranged on the inner wall of the side of the mounting hole facing the steering shaft, and a displacement slot is arranged on the pressing block and matched with the guide block.

[0017] According to the technical means, the movement of the pressing block in the mounting hole of the mounting seat is guided, so that the pressing block is prevented from being stuck during the movement in the mounting hole, and the pressing block is always abutted on the sliding member.

[0018] In some embodiments, the steer-by-wire column further comprises an elastic member and an adjusting nut arranged in the mounting hole, the adjusting nut is arranged on the side of the mounting hole away from the steering shaft, and the two ends of the elastic member are respectively abutted on the pressing block and the adjusting nut.

[0019] According to the technical means, by adjusting the position of the adjusting nut in the mounting hole, the adjusting nut compresses the elastic member, the elastic member exerts a restoring force on the pressing block after being compressed, and the pressing block always abuts the sliding member in the spiral guide groove under the action of the restoring force, so that the sliding member moves synchronously with the rotation of the steering shaft.

[0020] In some embodiments, a first limiting hole is arranged on the pressing block, a second limiting hole is arranged on the adjusting nut, the first limiting hole and the second limiting hole are oppositely arranged to form a second accommodating cavity, and the elastic member is placed in the second accommodating cavity.

[0021] According to the technical means, the elastic member is limited, so that the elastic member is prevented from being misaligned and causing the sliding member to slide out of the spiral guide groove.

[0022] In some embodiments, the mounting base is provided with an access hole, the access hole is provided corresponding to the adjusting nut, and an adjusting groove is arranged on the end of the adjusting nut facing the access hole.

[0023] According to the above technical means, when the restoring force of the elastic member on the pressing block is insufficient to enable the pressing block to abut the sliding member in the spiral guide groove, the adjusting nut can be rotated through the adjusting groove by using a tool through the access hole, so as to adjust the position of the adjusting nut in the mounting hole, and then adjust the force of the elastic member on the sliding member, so that the sliding member is always located in the spiral guide groove.

[0024] In some embodiments, the steer-by-wire column further comprises a dust cover connected to the mounting base, the dust cover covering the access hole.

[0025] According to the above technical means, external impurities can be prevented from entering the limiting groove through the access hole, affecting the movement of the sliding member or the elastic roller in the limiting groove, and then affecting the rotation of the steering shaft, which is beneficial to ensure that the steer-by-wire column is synchronized with the steering signal, and to limit the rotation angle of the steering wheel. In addition, the dust cover is also beneficial to isolate the internal working sound of the steer-by-wire column, which has a positive effect on abnormal sound.

[0026] In a second aspect, a steering system is provided, comprising the steer-by-wire column with the rotation limiting structure.

[0027] In a third aspect, an automobile is provided, comprising the steering system.

[0028] According to the steer-by-wire column with the rotation limiting structure, the steering system and the vehicle of some embodiments of the present disclosure, by arranging the spiral guide groove on the circumferential side wall of the steering shaft, and arranging the limiting groove on the mounting base, when the steering shaft rotates clockwise or counterclockwise, the sliding member moves in the limiting groove under the push of the spiral guide groove; when the sliding member moves to the end of the limiting groove, the sliding member can no longer continue to move, at this time, the sliding member reversely limits the continuous rotation of the steering shaft, thereby limiting the rotation number of the steering shaft, ensuring that the rotation of the steer-by-wire column does not exceed the stroke, and keeping the steer-by-wire column synchronized with the steering signal, thereby realizing the limitation of the rotation angle of the steering wheel, and ensuring the safety of the vehicle. In addition,

[0029] By arranging the access hole on the mounting base, it is convenient to maintain and adjust at any time, so that the user can maintain the best rotation feeling when using the steering wheel. In addition, the structure is simple and compact, the assembly precision requirement is low, which is beneficial to reduce the production and maintenance cost, and realizes mass production. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0030] FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of a steer-by-wire column with a rotation limiting structure according to some embodiments;

[0031] Fig. 2 is a structural diagram of a column upper tube according to some embodiments;

[0032] Fig. 3 is a structural diagram of a steering shaft according to some embodiments;

[0033] Fig. 4 is a structural diagram of a mounting seat according to some embodiments;

[0034] Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the mounting seat in Fig. 4;

[0035] Fig. 6 is a structural diagram of another steering shaft according to some embodiments;

[0036] Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a steer-by-wire column with a rotation limiting structure according to some embodiments;

[0037] Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of the area A in Fig. 7;

[0038] Fig. 9 is a structural diagram of a bearing seat according to some embodiments;

[0039] Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the bearing seat in Fig. 9;

[0040] Fig. 11 is a structural diagram of an elastic roller according to some embodiments;

[0041] Fig. 12 is a structural diagram of a pressing block according to some embodiments;

[0042] Fig. 13 is a sectional view of the pressing block in Fig. 12;

[0043] Fig. 14 is a structural diagram of an adjusting nut according to some embodiments;

[0044] Fig. 15 is a sectional view of the adjusting nut in Fig. 14;

[0045] Fig. 16 is a structural diagram of a dust cover according to some embodiments;

[0046] Fig. 17 is a block diagram of a steering system according to some embodiments;

[0047] Fig. 18 is a block diagram of a vehicle according to some embodiments.

[0048] Label: 1 - upper column; 1A - mounting port; 2 - steering shaft; 21 - spiral guide groove; 22 - steering shaft body; 23 - sleeve; 3 - mounting seat; 31 - limiting groove; 32 - access port; 4 - sliding piece; 5 - bearing seat; 51 - flange plate; 52 - limiting boss; 53 - mounting part; 54 - mounting hole; 541 - guide block; 55 - clamping jaw; 6 - shaft sleeve; 7 - elastic roller; 8 - pressing block; 81 - clearance; 82 - clearance groove; 83 - first limiting hole; 9 - elastic piece; 10 - adjusting nut; 101 - second limiting hole; 102 - ratchet structure; 103 - adjusting groove; 11 - dust cover; 111 - first buckle structure; 112 - plugging boss; 113 - hook structure; 115 - second buckle structure; 10 - steer-by-wire column; 20 - steering system; 30 - vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] Other advantages and benefits of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the disclosure or can be learned by practice of the disclosure. The disclosure can be realized and achieved by means of the structures particularly pointed out in the specification and claims. Various modifications of the described modes of carrying out the disclosure which are based on the teachings of the disclosure can be effected without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. It is therefore intended that the disclosure be construed as including all such modifications and alterations as fall within the true spirit and scope of the disclosure.

[0050] It should be noted that the drawings provided in the following embodiments are only schematic and are intended to provide the basic understanding of the present disclosure. In the drawings, the shape, the number and the size of components are not drawn according to the actual implementation, and the shape, the number and the size of components in the actual implementation can be changed arbitrarily, and the layout of components can be more complex.

[0051] In the conventional steering system, the steering wheel is connected to the steering gear by mechanical connection, and the steering gear is limited in stroke by physical structure, so as to limit the left and right rotation of the steering wheel. In the steer-by-wire system, the steering column only needs to provide a rotation torque for simulating road feeling, and it is difficult to limit the rotation angle of the steering wheel because there is no connection between the steering intermediate shaft and the steering gear. The steering wheel can rotate unlimitedly, so that the angle signal of the steering column and the angle signal of the steering gear are too different, which causes the vehicle controller to misinterpret, and thus the vehicle may lose control during driving, causing serious traffic accidents.

[0052] In the related art, when the driving wheel and the driven wheel engage, the driven wheel begins to rotate until the driven teeth on the driven wheel abut against the limit post, and the driven wheel stops rotating, thereby achieving hard limiting of the steering column. During the hard limiting process of the steering column, the driven teeth collide with the limit post again and again, causing the contact portion of the driven teeth and the limit post to wear, causing the hard limit module to gradually deviate from the limit of the steering column until it fails. Even if the limit structure is set as a combination of a limit slot and a limit pin, the above-mentioned wear will still occur at the two ends of the limit slot where the limit pin contacts, causing the limit of the steering column to gradually fail.

[0053] In another related technology, the rotation of the steering column drives the sleeve along the guide groove of the housing. When one end face of the sleeve abuts the first limit block (or the second limit block), the steering column's rotation direction is mechanically limited, ensuring that the steering column's rotation does not exceed the travel range. This arrangement increases the axial length of the steering column, which has an adverse impact on layout space. Furthermore, for different vehicle models or different numbers of turns, the sleeve needs to be redeveloped, increasing the development cycle and development costs, and the component versatility is poor. Furthermore, the guide groove on the housing and the guide block on the sleeve require high precision. If the clearance is large, it is easy to cause collisions and abnormal noises. If the clearance is small, it is easy to cause friction resistance, resulting in a heavy steering wheel.

[0054] In order to solve the above problems, some embodiments of the present disclosure propose a wire-controlled steering column with a rotation limiting structure. The wire-controlled steering column can solve the problem of limiting the rotation of the steering column, achieve the same limiting function as the traditional steering system, and keep the steering column and steering gear signal synchronized to ensure the reliable use of the vehicle.

[0055] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the wire-controlled steering column 10 includes an upper cylinder 1 and a steering shaft 2 that passes through the upper cylinder 1. The steering shaft 2 can rotate clockwise or counterclockwise within the upper cylinder 1. A mounting opening 1A is provided on the circumferential side wall of the upper cylinder 1 (see Figure 2), and a spiral guide groove 21 is provided on the circumferential side wall of the steering shaft 2 along its own axial direction (see Figure 3). The spiral guide groove 21 is arranged opposite to the mounting opening 1A. The mounting seat 3 is mounted on the upper cylinder 1 by screws and is located at the mounting opening 1A. A limiting groove 31 is provided on the side of the mounting seat 3 facing the upper cylinder 1 (see Figure 5). The length direction of the limiting groove 31 is consistent with the axial direction of the steering shaft 2, and the limiting groove 31 is arranged corresponding to the mounting opening 1A, so that the limiting groove 31 is arranged corresponding to the spiral guide groove 21.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 5 , FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 , the sliding member 4 is located in both the spiral guide groove 21 and the limiting groove 31 , and the sliding member 4 can move in the spiral guide groove 21 and the limiting groove 31 .

[0057] When the steering shaft 2 rotates clockwise, the sliding piece 4 moves to the first end of the limiting groove 31 under the pushing of the spiral guide groove 21, at this time the rotating movement of the steering shaft 2 is converted into the linear movement of the sliding piece 4. When the sliding piece 4 moves to the first end of the limiting groove 31, the sliding piece 4 will not continue to move under the pushing of the spiral guide groove 21. At this time, the sliding piece 4 will limit the rotation of the steering shaft 2 in the opposite direction, thereby limiting the rotation number of the steering shaft 2, realizing the mechanical limiting of the steering shaft 2, ensuring that the rotation of the steer-by-wire column does not exceed the stroke, keeping the steer-by-wire column and the steering gear signal synchronized, and then realizing the limiting of the rotation angle of the steering wheel, ensuring the reliable use of the vehicle.

[0058] When the steering shaft 2 rotates counterclockwise, the sliding piece 4 moves to the second end of the limiting groove 31 under the pushing of the spiral guide groove 21, at this time the rotating movement of the steering shaft 2 is converted into the linear movement of the sliding piece 4. When the sliding piece 4 moves to the second end of the limiting groove 31, the sliding piece 4 will not continue to move under the pushing of the spiral guide groove 21, thereby limiting the rotation of the steering shaft 2, realizing the mechanical limiting of the steering shaft 2.

[0059] In some embodiments, the upper column barrel 1 and the steering shaft 2 are connected through a bearing, so that the steering shaft 2 can rotate clockwise or counterclockwise in the upper column barrel 1.

[0060] In some embodiments, the mounting seat 3 is provided with one side of the limiting groove 31, and is partially embedded in the mounting port 1A of the upper column barrel 1. The mounting port 1A has a certain limiting effect on the mounting seat 3, which avoids the movement of the mounting seat 3 on the upper column barrel 1, and is conducive to the cooperation between the sliding piece 4 and the spiral guide groove 21.

[0061] It should be noted that the part of the sliding piece 4 in contact with the spiral guide groove 21 and the limiting groove 31 can be profiled according to the shape of the spiral guide groove 21 and the limiting groove 31, so that the sliding piece 4 can move smoothly in the spiral guide groove 21 and the limiting groove 31.

[0062] In some embodiments, the number of rotations of the spiral guide groove 21 is greater than the number of rotations of the steering shaft 2 preset, so that the wear of the sliding piece 4 and the end of the spiral guide groove 21 during the collision process can be avoided, thereby reducing the maintenance cost.

[0063] When it is necessary to adjust the number of rotations of the steering shaft 2, the length of the limiting groove 31 on the mounting seat 3 can be appropriately changed to achieve the adjustment. For example, when it is necessary to reduce the number of rotations of the steering shaft 2, the length of the limiting groove 31 can be shortened to achieve the adjustment; when it is necessary to increase the number of rotations of the steering shaft 2, the length of the limiting groove 31 can be increased to achieve the adjustment.

[0064] It should be noted that when the length of the limiting groove 31 is increased to increase the number of rotations of the steering shaft 2, it is necessary to ensure that the number of rotations of the helical guide groove 21 provided on the steering shaft 2 is greater than the number of rotations of the steering shaft 2 preset, so as to avoid the collision between the sliding piece 4 and the end of the helical guide groove 21.

[0065] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, in order to reduce the cost of changing the type, the steering shaft 2 comprises a steering shaft body 22 and a sleeve 23 sleeved on the steering shaft body 22, and the helical guide groove 21 is arranged on the circumferential side wall of the sleeve 23. For example, the sleeve 23 is detachably connected to the steering shaft body 22, and when the sleeve 23 is connected to the steering shaft body 22, the sleeve 23 rotates synchronously with the steering shaft body 22.

[0066] When it is necessary to adjust the number of rotations of the steering shaft 2, the pitch of the helical guide groove 21 can be changed. At this time, the sleeve 23 can be replaced, and the pitch of the helical guide groove 21 provided on the replaced sleeve 23 is the required pitch, so as to realize rapid change of type. Since the whole steering shaft body 22 does not need to be replaced, it is beneficial to save the cost of changing the type.

[0067] The present disclosure is not limited thereto, as shown in FIG. 3, in some embodiments, the steering shaft 2 comprises a steering shaft body 22, and the helical guide groove 21 is arranged on the steering shaft body 22, that is, the helical guide groove 21 is arranged on the steering shaft 2, which is beneficial to improve the stability of the user rotating the steering wheel through the steering shaft 2 to transmit the dynamic, ensure that the steer-by-wire column and the steering signal are synchronized, and further improve the perception quality of the user.

[0068] In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, a bearing seat 5 is arranged in the limiting groove 31, the sliding piece 4 is installed on one side of the bearing seat 5 facing the steering shaft 2, and part of the sliding piece 4 is located in the helical guide groove 21. When the steering shaft 2 rotates, the sliding piece 4 drives the bearing seat 5 to move synchronously under the pushing of the helical guide groove 21. A shaft sleeve 6 is sleeved on the bearing seat 5, and the shaft sleeve 6 and the bearing seat 5 are gap-fitted.

[0069] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 11, an elastic roller 7 is sleeved on the shaft sleeve 6, and the elastic roller 7 and the shaft sleeve 6 are interference-fitted, so that the elastic roller 7 can rotate with the shaft sleeve 6 relative to the bearing seat 5, and the elastic roller 7 is located in the limiting groove 31 of the mounting seat 3.

[0070] When the steering shaft 2 rotates to drive the sliding piece 4 to move, the bearing seat 5 moves synchronously with the sliding piece 4, thereby driving the elastic roller 7 to move synchronously with the bearing seat 5 in the limiting groove 31. In this way, the assembly precision between the spiral guide groove 21 and the limiting groove 31 can be reduced, the offset movement amount of the sliding piece 4 can be increased, and the sliding piece 4 can be prevented from being stuck during movement along the spiral guide groove 21, thereby reducing the machining and assembly precision of the structural member and reducing the cost.

[0071] It should be noted that the bearing seat 5 and the shaft sleeve 6 can be coated with lubricating grease or lubricating oil, so as to reduce the friction resistance and movement wear between the bearing seat 5 and the shaft sleeve 6, prolong the service life of the bearing seat 5 and the shaft sleeve 6, and reduce the maintenance cost.

[0072] In some embodiments, the material of the elastic roller 7 can be set as a plastic material with elasticity, including but not limited to rubber and the like. When the elastic roller 7 is in contact with the end of the limiting groove 31 of the mounting seat 3, the elastic roller 7 will not cause damage to the mounting seat 3 and itself due to the elasticity, thereby prolonging the service life of the mounting seat 3 and the elastic roller 7 and reducing the maintenance cost.

[0073] In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 8-10, the bearing seat 5 includes a flange plate 51, a limiting boss 52 and a mounting portion 53 connected in sequence. The shaft sleeve 6 is sleeved on the mounting portion 53, for example, the shaft sleeve 6 can be sleeved on the outer side of the mounting portion 53. The flange plate 51 abuts against the side wall on the side of the mounting seat 3 facing the steering shaft 2, and the limiting boss 52 abuts against the two inner side walls in the width direction of the opening of the limiting groove 31, thereby limiting the axial rotation of the bearing seat 5 and avoiding the rotation of the bearing seat 5, which is beneficial to improve the power transmission of the bearing seat 5.

[0074] Here, the width direction can refer to the XY direction in FIG. 4.

[0075] In some embodiments, the limiting boss 52 can be set as a polygon with a multiple of 2, such as a quadrilateral or a hexagon, so that the two opposite sides can abut against the two inner side walls in the width direction of the opening of the limiting groove 31, thereby limiting the axial rotation of the bearing seat 5.

[0076] In some embodiments, the circumferential side wall of the elastic roller 7 is always in abutting state with the circumferential inner wall of the limiting groove 31, that is, the circumferential inner wall of the limiting groove 31 is designed by profiling according to the outer shape of the circumferential side wall of the elastic roller 7, which can avoid the elastic roller 7 from deviating during movement in the limiting groove 31, causing the rotation of the steering shaft 2 to shake, thereby improving the perception quality of the user and ensuring that the steer-by-wire column 10 is synchronized with the steering signal.

[0077] Alternatively, the circumferential side wall of the sliding member 4 is always in abutting state with the circumferential inner wall of the limiting groove 31, that is, the circumferential inner wall of the limiting groove 31 is designed according to the profile of the circumferential side wall of the sliding member 4, which can avoid the deviation of the sliding member 4 during the movement in the limiting groove 31, causing the rotation of the steering shaft 2 to shake, and is beneficial to improve the perception quality of the user and ensure that the steer-by-wire column 10 is synchronized with the steering signal.

[0078] In some embodiments, the mounting seat 3 can be made of metal material, including but not limited to stainless steel and the like. The circumferential side wall of the elastic roller 7 is designed as a spherical surface, and the circumferential inner wall of the limiting groove 31 of the mounting seat 3 is also designed as a spherical surface. Since the elastic roller 7 is made of a plastic material with elasticity, it is convenient to put the elastic roller 7 into the limiting groove 31.

[0079] In order to make the circumferential side wall of the elastic roller 7 always in abutting state with the circumferential inner wall of the limiting groove 31, the width dimension (such as the XY direction in FIG. 4) of the limiting groove 31 is slightly smaller than the radial dimension (such as the MN direction in FIG. 11) of the elastic roller 7, so that the elastic roller 7 has a certain compression amount in the limiting groove 31, so that the circumferential side wall of the elastic roller 7 is always in abutting state with the circumferential inner wall of the limiting groove 31 under the action of its own restoring force.

[0080] It should be noted that the difference between the width dimension of the limiting groove 31 and the radial dimension of the elastic roller 7 is small, so the restoring force of the elastic roller 7 is small. The friction between the circumferential side wall of the elastic roller 7 and the circumferential inner wall of the limiting groove 31 does not affect the synchronous movement of the elastic roller 7 with the sliding member 4 in the limiting groove 31. Furthermore, the depth of the limiting groove 31 is greater than the thickness of the elastic roller 7, which is beneficial to reduce the rolling resistance of the elastic roller 7 in the limiting groove 31.

[0081] Here, the depth of the limiting groove 31 can refer to CD in FIG. 5; the thickness of the elastic roller 7 can refer to KL in FIG. 11.

[0082] In some embodiments, the width of the limiting groove 31 gradually decreases from the middle to both ends, that is, the width dimension of the limiting groove 31 is maximum at the middle position and minimum at the end position. During the movement of the sliding member 4 or the elastic roller 7 from the middle to the end of the limiting groove 31, the pushing force provided by the spiral guide groove 21 to the sliding member 4 will gradually increase due to the gradual decrease of the width dimension of the limiting groove 31, so that the sliding member 4 continues to move. At this time, the linear resistance of the limiting groove 31 to the sliding member 4 or the elastic roller 7 gradually increases, and the linear resistance is transmitted to the steering wheel through the steering shaft 2, thereby prompting the user that the steering wheel is about to rotate to the limit position, which is beneficial to improve the perception quality of the user.

[0083] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 8 to 10 , the bearing seat 5 is provided with a through mounting hole 54. A plurality of circumferentially distributed clamping jaws 55 are provided on the side of the mounting hole 54 facing the steering shaft 2. For example, the number of clamping jaws 55 can be set to 3, 4, 5, etc. The number of clamping jaws 55 can be set according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of limiting the position of the sliding member 4.

[0084] A pressure block 8 is provided in the mounting hole 54, and the pressure block 8 can slide along the axial direction in the mounting hole 54. As shown in Figures 12 and 13, a clearance opening 81 is provided on the side of the pressure block 8 facing the clamping jaw 55, and a first accommodating cavity is formed between the clearance opening 81 and the clamping jaw 55. The sliding member 4 includes a first part and a second part, the first part of the sliding member 4 is located in the first accommodating cavity, and the second part of the sliding member 4 is located in the spiral guide groove 21, so that the sliding member 4 drives the bearing seat 5 to move synchronously when moving in the spiral guide groove 21. At this time, the clearance opening 81 of the pressure block 8 abuts against the sliding member 4 and applies a certain pressure to the sliding member 4 to press the sliding member 4 against the clamping jaw 55, thereby limiting the sliding member 4.

[0085] In some embodiments, the slider 4 can be configured as a sphere, and the material of the sphere can be configured as a non-metallic wear-resistant material to reduce friction noise during operation of the slider 4 and improve operational quality; and the sphere is light in weight, which is beneficial for maintaining the natural frequency of the wire-controlled steering column. In this case, the first accommodating cavity is configured as a spherical cavity, and grease or lubricating oil can be provided in the cavity to reduce the friction resistance between the slider 4 and the cavity, allowing the slider 4 to roll in the cavity. The spiral guide groove 21 is configured as a semicircular groove to reduce the resistance of the slider 4 when moving in the spiral guide groove 21, which is beneficial for reducing noise and has a positive effect on the rotation feel of the wire-controlled steering column, thereby improving the user's perceived quality.

[0086] It should be noted that the bearing seat 5 and the clamping jaw 55 are an integrally formed structure, and the bearing seat 5 can be set to a non-metallic plastic material, including but not limited to polyester material, so that the clamping jaw 55 can have a certain amount of plastic deformation during use.

[0087] In some embodiments, a guide block 541 (see FIG. 9 or FIG. 10 ) is provided on the inner wall of the mounting hole 54 where the pressure block 8 contacts the inner wall thereof, and a clearance groove 82 (see FIG. 12 ) is provided on the circumferential side wall of the pressure block 8 to cooperate with the guide block 541. When the pressure block 8 moves within the mounting hole 54, the cooperation between the guide block 541 and the clearance groove 82 can guide the movement of the pressure block 8, thereby preventing the pressure block 8 from getting stuck during movement within the mounting hole 54. This helps ensure that the pressure block 8 always abuts against the sliding member 4, thereby ensuring that the sliding member 4 is always located within the spiral guide groove 21, thereby preventing the steering-by-wire column from rotating beyond its travel.

[0088] In some embodiments, in order to make the sliding piece 4 always move within the spiral guide groove 21, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a resilient piece 9 and an adjusting nut 10 are further arranged in the mounting hole 54. The adjusting nut 10 is arranged on the side of the mounting hole 54 away from the steering shaft 2 and is threadedly connected with the mounting hole 54. The two ends of the resilient piece 9 are respectively abutted against the pressing block 8 and the adjusting nut 10. By adjusting the position of the adjusting nut 10 in the mounting hole 54, the adjusting nut 10 compresses the resilient piece 9. After the resilient piece 9 is compressed, the resilient piece 9 exerts a restoring force on the pressing block 8. The pressing block 8 always abuts the sliding piece 4 against the spiral guide groove 21 under the action of the restoring force, so that the sliding piece 4 moves synchronously with the rotation of the steering shaft 2. By adjusting the position of the adjusting nut 10 in the mounting hole 54, the compression amount of the resilient piece 9 can be adjusted, and then the restoring force exerted by the resilient piece 9 on the pressing block 8 is adjusted, so as to control the abutting condition between the sliding piece 4 and the spiral guide groove 21.

[0089] In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 12 to 15, the pressing block 8 is provided with a first limiting hole 83, and the adjusting nut 10 is provided with a second limiting hole 101. The first limiting hole 83 and the second limiting hole 101 are oppositely arranged to form a second accommodating cavity. The resilient piece 9 is placed in the second accommodating cavity to limit the resilient piece 9 and avoid dislocation of the resilient piece 9, so that the sliding piece 4 is prevented from sliding out of the spiral guide groove 21.

[0090] For example, the resilient piece 9 is a structure with elasticity, including but not limited to a spring and the like.

[0091] In some embodiments, in order to prevent loosening of the threaded connection between the bearing seat 5 and the adjusting nut 10 and ensure that the adjusting nut 10 always exerts sufficient pressure on the resilient piece 9, a reverse tooth structure 102 is arranged between the inner wall of the side of the mounting hole 54 of the bearing seat 5 away from the steering shaft 2 and the circumferential outer wall of the side of the adjusting nut 10 away from the steering shaft 2.

[0092] It should be noted that the reverse tooth structure 102 arranged between the mounting hole 54 and the adjusting nut 10 does not affect the threaded mounting of the adjusting nut 10 on the bearing seat 5. When it is necessary to disassemble the adjusting nut 10 from the bearing seat 5, a relatively large rotating external force is required to achieve the disassembly.

[0093] In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the side of the mounting seat 3 away from the steering shaft 2 is provided with an inspection opening 32 corresponding to the adjusting nut 10, so as to facilitate the adjustment of the adjusting nut 10 through the inspection opening 32.

[0094] As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the adjusting nut 10 is provided with an adjusting groove 103 at one end thereof facing the access hole 32, which can be provided in a linear or cross shape, etc. When the restoring force of the elastic member 9 applied to the pressing block 8 is insufficient to enable the pressing block 8 to abut the sliding member 4 in the spiral guide groove 21, the adjusting nut 10 can be rotated by a tool through the adjusting groove 103 through the access hole 32 to adjust the position of the adjusting nut 10 in the mounting hole 54, thereby adjusting the force of the elastic member 9 applied to the sliding member 4, so that the sliding member 4 is always located in the spiral guide groove 21.

[0095] It should be noted that the access hole 32 can be provided in an oval shape, and the length dimension of the oval shape is set according to the movement dimension of the elastic roller 7 in the limiting groove 31, so that the adjusting nut 10 can be adjusted through the access hole 32 regardless of the position of the adjusting nut 10 in the limiting groove 31.

[0096] In some embodiments, in order to prevent external impurities from entering the limiting groove 31 through the access hole 32 and affecting the movement of the sliding member 4 or the elastic roller 7 in the limiting groove 31, as shown in FIG. 1, a dust cover 11 is mounted on the mounting seat 3 and covers the access hole 32 of the mounting seat 3, which is beneficial to ensure that the steering shaft 2 rotates a predetermined number of rotation times, ensures that the steer-by-wire column and the steering gear signal are synchronized, and effectively limits the rotation angle of the steering wheel. Furthermore, the provision of the dust cover 11 is also beneficial to isolate the working noise inside the steer-by-wire column, thereby reducing noise.

[0097] In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 16, the mounting seat 3 is provided with a first buckle structure 111, and the dust cover 11 is provided with a second buckle structure 115 cooperating with the first buckle structure 111. In this way, the assembly and disassembly of the dust cover 11 and the mounting seat 3 are facilitated by the cooperation of the first buckle structure 111 and the second buckle structure 115.

[0098] For example, one of the first buckle structure 111 and the second buckle structure 115 is formed as a buckle, and the other of the first buckle structure 111 and the second buckle structure 115 is formed as a clamping hole, and the cooperation of the buckle and the clamping hole facilitates the assembly and disassembly of the dust cover 11 on the mounting seat 3.

[0099] It should be noted that the dust cover 11 can be provided in a plastic material, including but not limited to a rubber material, etc., so as to facilitate the assembly and disassembly of the dust cover 11 and the mounting seat 3, and also facilitate the reduction of the weight of the dust cover 11, which is beneficial to maintain the natural frequency of the steer-by-wire column.

[0100] In some embodiments, in order to seal the manhole 32 on the mounting seat 3, as shown in FIG. 16, the dust cover 11 is provided with a blocking boss 112 on the side facing the manhole 32, which is inserted into the manhole 32 to completely seal the manhole 32. And the circumferential direction of the blocking boss 112 is provided with a hook structure 113, which abuts against the inner side wall of the manhole 32 facing the limiting groove 31 when the blocking boss 112 is inserted into the manhole 32, so as to fix the blocking boss 112 in the manhole 32, avoiding the blocking boss 112 from easily coming out of the manhole 32.

[0101] In some embodiments, the hook structure 113 is a reverse triangular structure provided on the circumferential side wall of the blocking boss 112. When the blocking boss 112 extends into the manhole 32, the inclined surface of the reverse triangular structure has a guiding effect; when the blocking boss 112 is completely inserted into the manhole 32, the flat surface of the reverse triangular structure abuts against the inner side wall of the manhole 32 facing the limiting groove 31, and the reverse triangular structure plays a fixing role.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 17, some embodiments of the present disclosure also propose a steering system 20, which comprises the above-mentioned steer-by-wire column 10 with rotation limiting structure.

[0103] The steering system 20 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure has similar effects to the steer-by-wire column 10 due to the provision of the above-mentioned steer-by-wire column 10, which will not be repeated here.

[0104] As shown in FIG. 18, some embodiments of the present disclosure also propose a vehicle 30, which comprises the above-mentioned steering system 20.

[0105] The vehicle 30 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure has similar effects to the steer-by-wire column 10 due to the provision of the above-mentioned steering system 20, which will not be repeated here.

[0106] The above embodiments are only preferred embodiments for fully illustrating the present disclosure, and the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any equivalent replacement or transformation of the present disclosure made by those skilled in the art based on the present disclosure is within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A wire-controlled steering column with a rotation limit structure, comprising: An upper column cylinder, wherein a mounting opening is provided on a circumferential side wall of the upper column cylinder; A steering shaft configured to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise within the upper cylinder, and a spiral guide groove is provided on a circumferential side wall of the steering shaft along its own axial direction; A mounting seat is provided on the upper column and is located at the mounting opening, and a limiting groove is provided on the mounting seat along the axial direction of the steering shaft, and the limiting groove and the spiral guide groove are arranged relative to each other through the mounting opening; and The sliding member is located in both the spiral guide groove and the limiting groove. The spiral guide groove is configured to push the sliding member to move to the end of the limiting groove when the steering shaft rotates, so as to limit the number of rotations of the steering shaft.

2. The wire-controlled steering column with a rotation limiting structure according to claim 1, wherein: The steering shaft satisfies one of the following conditions: The steering shaft comprises a steering shaft body and a sleeve sleeved on the steering shaft body, and the spiral guide groove is provided on a circumferential side wall of the sleeve; or The steering shaft includes a steering shaft body, and the spiral guide groove is provided on a circumferential side wall of the steering shaft body.

3. The steering-by-wire column with a rotation limiting structure according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: A bearing seat is located in the limiting groove, and the sliding member is arranged on a side of the bearing seat facing the steering shaft; A shaft sleeve, sleeved on the bearing seat; and The elastic roller is sleeved on the shaft sleeve and is configured to move synchronously with the sliding member in the limiting groove when the steering shaft rotates and drives the sliding member to move.

4. The wire-controlled steering column with a rotation limiting structure according to claim 3, wherein: The bearing seat includes a flange, a limiting boss and a mounting portion connected in sequence, the sleeve is sleeved on the mounting portion, the flange abuts against the side of the mounting seat facing the steering shaft, and the two side walls of the limiting boss opposite to each other in the circumferential direction respectively abut against the two inner side walls in the width direction of the opening of the limiting groove.

5. The wire-controlled steering column with a rotation limiting structure according to claim 3 or 4, wherein: The bearing seat is provided with a through mounting hole, and the wire-controlled steering column also includes a pressure block slidably arranged in the mounting hole, and a plurality of circumferentially distributed clamping jaws are provided on the side of the mounting hole facing the steering shaft, and a clearance opening is provided on the side of the pressure block facing the plurality of clamping jaws, and a first accommodating cavity is formed between the clearance opening and the plurality of clamping jaws, and a part of the sliding member is located in the first accommodating cavity.

6. The wire-controlled steering column with a rotation limiting structure according to claim 5, wherein: A guide block is provided on the inner wall of the mounting hole on one side facing the steering shaft, and a clearance groove matched with the guide block is provided on the pressing block.

7. The wire-controlled steering column with a rotation limiting structure according to claim 5 or 6 further includes an elastic member and an adjusting nut arranged in the mounting hole, the adjusting nut being arranged on a side of the mounting hole away from the steering shaft, and the two ends of the elastic member respectively abutting against the pressure block and the adjusting nut.

8. The wire-controlled steering column with a rotation limiting structure according to claim 7, wherein: The pressing block is provided with a first limiting hole, the adjusting nut is provided with a second limiting hole, the first limiting hole and the second limiting hole are arranged opposite to each other to form a second accommodating cavity, and the elastic member is placed in the second accommodating cavity.

9. The wire-controlled steering column with a rotation limiting structure according to claim 7 or 8, wherein: An inspection port is provided on the mounting seat, the inspection port is arranged corresponding to the adjusting nut, and an adjusting groove is provided at the end of the adjusting nut facing the inspection port. 10 . The wire-controlled steering column with a rotation limiting structure according to claim 9 , further comprising a dust cover connected to the mounting seat, wherein the dust cover covers the inspection port.

11. A steering system, comprising a wire-controlled steering column with a rotation limiting structure according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A vehicle comprising the steering system according to claim 11.

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