Independent Wheel Module Height Control on Uneven Roads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle height adjustment systems, such as air pressure adjustment devices, are difficult to maintain and prone to breakdowns, leading to decreased vehicle height when air pressure decreases.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control system incorporating independent driving modules with connection devices, shock absorbers, and a controller that adjusts wheel velocities and lengths to change vehicle height based on road surface conditions and input targets, eliminating the need for separate adjustment devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If an air pressure adjustment device is used to adjust vehicle height, then vehicle height can be adjusted when passengers get in/out or freight is loaded, but the device is difficult to maintain and prone to breakdowns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the separate air pressure adjustment device from the vehicle system and integrates the height adjustment function directly into the wheel driving modules. Each wheel module independently controls its own height adjustment through mechanical means, eliminating the centralized air pressure system that was difficult to maintain and prone to breakdowns.
Solution Approach 2:
Each wheel driving module autonomously adjusts the vehicle height without requiring a separate control system. The modules use their own driving mechanisms to raise or lower the vehicle body, making the system self-sufficient and eliminating the need for external air pressure adjustment devices that required maintenance.
2Adaptability or versatility
If an air pressure adjustment device is used, then vehicle height can be adjusted, but when the device breaks down, air pressure decreases causing vehicle height to decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the height adjustment function from the air pressure system and embeds it within each wheel module's mechanical structure. This eliminates the dependency on air pressure maintenance and ensures stable vehicle height even when individual components fail, as each module independently maintains its position.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical linkage design in each wheel module includes built-in position maintenance capabilities that prevent height loss before failure occurs. The rigid mechanical connection between the wheel module and vehicle body ensures that height is maintained stablely without relying on air pressure that could leak or fail.
3Adaptability or versatility
If independent driving modules with rotation centers spaced from driving shafts are used, then wheel movement in forward/rearward and upward/downward directions is enabled, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection device with the rotation center serves multiple functions simultaneously: it connects the wheel to the vehicle body, enables forward/rearward wheel movement for steering, and allows upward/downward movement for height adjustment. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate mechanisms, thereby reducing overall system complexity despite the sophisticated motion capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for controlling a vehicle, where the system includes independent driving modules each including a connection device having a rotation center spaced apart from a driving shaft in a forward/rearward direction and configured to connect the wheel and a vehicle body to move the wheel in the forward/rearward or an upward/downward direction, a shock absorber extending in a longitudinal direction and configured to contract or stretch, to connect the vehicle body and the connection device, and to restrict an upward/downward movement of the connection device, and a driving device configured to rotate the wheel, a road surface detector configured to detect a height displacement or a state of a road, and a controller configured to control velocities of the front and rear wheels of the independent driving modules, and to change a height of the vehicle based on the height displacement or the state of the road.