CN117897323A

CN117897323A - Wheel module, vehicle chassis and control method for wheel module

Info

Publication number: CN117897323A
Application number: CN202180102071.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 陈春晖; 余欣
Original assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG and Co KG
Current assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG and Co KG
Priority date: 2021-11-29
Filing date: 2021-11-29
Publication date: 2024-04-16
Also published as: WO2023092588A1

Abstract

A wheel module, comprising: a reversing mechanism (810) having an input shaft (801) and an output shaft (802), and configured to operatively output rotational motion input by the input shaft from the output shaft in the same or opposite rotational direction; a motor (9), the output shaft (17) of which can be connected to the wheel hub to drive the wheel in rotation, and the output shaft of which can also be connected to the input shaft (801) of the reversing mechanism; a steering mechanism (815) for effecting steering of the wheels; a bi-directional clutch (814) disposed between the reversing mechanism and the steering mechanism for operatively outputting an output of the output shaft (802) of the reversing mechanism to an input (805) of the steering mechanism. A vehicle chassis and a method of controlling a wheel module are also disclosed.

Description

Wheel module, vehicle chassis and control method for wheel module

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of automobile manufacturing, and more particularly, to a wheel module, a vehicle chassis having the same, and a control method of the wheel module.

Background

Under the background that the intelligent driving technology of the automobile breaks through continuously, the drive-by-wire chassis becomes one of the essential core technical products for intelligent driving of the vehicle. The automobile drive-by-wire chassis mainly comprises five systems of drive-by-wire steering, drive-by-wire braking, drive-by-wire gear shifting, drive-by-wire accelerator and drive-by-wire suspension. The wheel steering mechanism and the wheel driving mechanism of the traditional automobile drive-by-wire chassis are driven by different motors respectively, so that the mechanism design of the chassis is complex, in addition, because two independent motors are required to drive the wheel steering mechanism and the wheel driving mechanism respectively, a larger installation space is required, and the risk of failure of the motors is further amplified due to the increase of the number of the motors.

There is a need for a new drive-by-wire chassis design to simplify construction, save space, and improve reliability.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the invention is achieved by providing a wheel module and a vehicle chassis having such a wheel module.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a wheel module is provided.

According to one exemplary embodiment, a wheel module includes: a reversing mechanism having an input shaft and an output shaft, and configured to operatively output rotational motion input by the input shaft from the output shaft in the same or opposite rotational direction; a motor, an output shaft of which can be connected to a hub of a wheel to drive the wheel to rotate, and an output shaft of which can also be connected to an input shaft of the reversing mechanism; the steering mechanism is used for realizing steering of wheels; and a bi-directional clutch disposed between the reversing mechanism and the steering mechanism for operatively outputting an output of an output shaft of the reversing mechanism to an input of the steering mechanism. By simultaneously transmitting the output of the motor to the hub and the wheel steering control mechanism, the drive and steering functions of the vehicle can be simultaneously controlled using one motor.

According to another exemplary embodiment, the reversing mechanism includes a hydraulic reversing system including a hydraulic clutch fixed to an output shaft of the reversing mechanism. By adopting the hydraulic clutch, the response speed of the reversing mechanism can be improved, and the service life can be prolonged.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the hydraulic reversing system comprises a rotary output fixedly arranged radially outside the hydraulic clutch. The rotary output part is arranged on the radial outer side of the hydraulic clutch, so that the axial distance of the reversing mechanism can be reduced, and a compact structure is facilitated.

According to yet another exemplary embodiment, the wheel module further comprises a speed increasing mechanism connected between the reversing mechanism and the rotational output of the bi-directional clutch. By providing the speed increasing mechanism, the reaction sensitivity of steering can be increased.

According to yet another exemplary embodiment, the bi-directional clutch comprises a self-locking bi-directional clutch. The self-locking bidirectional clutch can prevent deflection and shake when the wheels are braked, and improves driving safety.

According to yet another exemplary embodiment, the wheel module further comprises a driving force clutch provided between the output shaft of the motor and the hub of the wheel, the driving force clutch being operable to selectively transmit the driving force of the motor to the hub of the wheel.

According to a further exemplary embodiment, the wheel module further comprises a variable speed transmission connected between the bi-directional clutch and the steering mechanism. According to a preferred embodiment, the variable speed drive comprises a hydraulic continuously variable transmission. By providing the hydraulic stepless speed changer, the automation and the intellectualization of vehicle control are convenient to realize, the speed-down or speed-up operation can be flexibly carried out, and the angular speed and the steering torque of the steering of the wheels can be adjusted at any time according to the needs.

According to yet another exemplary embodiment, the steering mechanism includes: the input end of the steering output shaft is meshed with an output shaft gear of the speed change transmission mechanism; and a steering bracket which is provided so as to be non-rotatable and is fixedly connected to the output end of the steering output shaft so as to be non-rotatable with respect to each other.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle chassis comprising a wheel module according to any of the embodiments of the present application. The vehicle chassis further comprises a shock absorbing mechanism connected to the vehicle control mechanism, the shock absorbing mechanism comprising: a swing arm connected to the steering mechanism; and a damper connected to the swing arm. The swing arm has a shaft portion that mates with the shaft hole portion of the steering mechanism, and a bushing is provided between the shaft hole portion and the shaft portion. The shaft-shaft hole mating structure can provide higher structural strength and stability than conventional ball joint connection structures. The bushing can reduce friction, prolong the service life of the structure, improve the performance of the damping system and improve riding comfort.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method for a wheel module set as described in the foregoing embodiment.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the control method includes: operating the bi-directional clutch to engage the output shaft of the reversing mechanism to the steering mechanism; and the motor torque is transmitted to the steering mechanism through the reversing mechanism so as to realize steering of wheels.

According to another exemplary embodiment, the wheel module further comprises a driving force clutch arranged between an output shaft of the motor and a hub of the wheel; and the control method further includes: before starting the motor, operating the driving force clutch to be in a decoupling state so as to realize the in-situ steering of the wheels; or before starting the motor, the driving force clutch is operated to be in an engaged state to achieve wheel steering during running of the vehicle.

According to yet another exemplary embodiment, the control method further comprises: the reversing mechanism is operated to switch the direction in which the vehicle turns.

According to yet another exemplary embodiment, the wheel module further comprises a variable speed transmission connected between the bi-directional clutch and the steering mechanism; and the control method further includes: the variable speed drive is operated to adjust the angular speed and/or torque of the wheel steering.

The invention relates to a novel steering and driving combined module design scheme, which integrates a steering, braking and driving three-function system on a suspension structure. In addition, the driving and steering systems share one motor, so that the number of motors is reduced, the energy consumption is reduced, the motor failure factor is reduced, the control safety of the drive-by-wire chassis is improved, and the development of power assisting intelligence and networking is realized. Because the traditional vehicle core functional parts are arranged at the wheel end, the space of the front cabin and the rear cabin is released, the development of a low-profile and more compact drive-by-wire chassis is facilitated, and more space is reserved for the intelligent riding cabin.

Drawings

Embodiments of the reversing mechanism of the present invention will be described below with reference to the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a vehicle chassis according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cut-away perspective view taken along the centerline of the in-wheel motor bracket of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle control mechanism according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a reversing mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 5 is an axial cross-sectional view of the reversing mechanism shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the power take-off portion of the reversing mechanism of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the power take-off of FIG. 6;

fig. 8 is an axial sectional view of the power output portion shown in fig. 6.

Detailed Description

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to fig. 1 to 3.

Fig. 1 shows a wheel module of a vehicle chassis according to the invention for controlling steering, reversing and driving of wheels. As shown, the shock absorbing mechanism of the vehicle chassis is connected to the steering bracket. The steering bracket comprises a steering upper bracket 1 and a steering lower bracket 10, wherein the steering upper bracket 1 is provided with an internal spline portion for externally splined connection with the output end of a steering output shaft 14 (see fig. 2). The wheel hub motor bracket 3 for supporting the wheel hub motor 9 and other transmission system components is arranged between the steering upper bracket 1 and the steering lower bracket 10, the steering output shaft 14 passes through the upper end of the wheel hub motor bracket 3, and the ball bowl group bearing 2 is arranged between the wheel hub motor bracket 3 and the steering upper bracket 1, and the ball bowl group bearing 2 is sleeved on the steering output shaft 14. The in-wheel motor support 3 is rotatable relative to the steering upper support 1 by means of the ball bowl group bearing 2. The in-wheel motor support 3 is also rotatably fixed to the steering sub-support 13 by a lower ball head 16 (see fig. 2). The center of the lower ball head 16 is located on the axis of the steering output shaft 14, and constitutes a turning master pin, so that the in-wheel motor bracket 3 can turn relative to the steering bracket.

The in-wheel motor 9 is installed in the in-wheel motor bracket 3. On the one hand, the output end of the in-wheel motor 9 is connected to the hub of the wheel 15 through the driving force clutch 4, and provides rotational driving force to the hub to drive the wheel 15 to rotate. The driving force clutch 4 is operable to effect transmission or decoupling of the driving force of the wheel 15 by the in-wheel motor 9. On the other hand, the output shaft 17 of the in-wheel motor 9 transmits a force to the steering output shaft 14 through the reversing gear 8 to effect steering of the wheels.

As shown in fig. 1, an output shaft of the in-wheel motor 9 is connected to one end of the driving force clutch 4, and the other end of the driving force clutch 4 is connected to the planetary reducer 7. The planetary reducer 7 serves to reduce and increase torque to provide a sufficient torque output to the wheels. In addition, the wheel module may further comprise a brake disc 6 and a brake caliper 5 to provide braking torque to the wheels.

As shown in fig. 3, the reversing gear 8 includes a reversing mechanism 810, a bi-directional clutch 814, and a variable speed gear 815. The reversing mechanism 810 is operable to switch the output direction of the power. The bi-directional clutch 814 may transfer power in both directions or be decoupled to transfer power when desired. The variable speed drive 815 can be used to perform a speed-down or speed-up operation to adjust the angular speed and steering torque of the wheel steering at any time as needed. As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the output shaft 17 of the in-wheel motor 9 is connected to the input shaft 801 of the reversing mechanism 810, thereby transmitting torque to the input shaft 801.

The reversing mechanism 810 may employ various reversing mechanisms that effect reversing operations in the drive train. According to one embodiment of the invention, the reversing mechanism 810 may be a hydraulically driven reversing mechanism. According to a preferred embodiment, the reversing mechanism 810 may comprise an input shaft 801 and an output shaft 802 arranged in parallel, and a first transmission mechanism for effecting a co-directional transmission and a second transmission mechanism for effecting a counter-directional transmission are provided between the input shaft 801 and the output shaft 802. As shown in fig. 3, the first transmission mechanism may be a belt transmission mechanism and the second transmission mechanism may be a bevel gear transmission mechanism. A hydraulic clutch (not shown) is mounted on the output shaft and disposed between the first and second transmission mechanisms, and is configured to be operable to selectively engage the first transmission mechanism or the second transmission mechanism to effect a change in torque transfer direction. According to a further preferred embodiment, the reversing mechanism comprises a rotational output 811 arranged radially outside the hydraulic clutch, the rotational movement output by the rotational output 811 being transferred to the bi-directional clutch 814.

A non-limiting embodiment of a reversing mechanism according to the invention will be described in detail below with reference to fig. 4 to 8.

As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the reversing mechanism 1000 includes: a power input shaft 111; a first transmission member 112 and a second transmission member 113 fixedly provided on the power input shaft 111; a power output shaft 121; a third transmission member 122 and a fourth transmission member 123 rotatably provided on the power output shaft 121, wherein the first transmission member 112 transmits a first torque to the third transmission member 122 and the second transmission member 113 transmits a second torque to the fourth transmission member 123; and a clutch mechanism 124, the clutch mechanism 124 being fixed to the power output shaft 121 and located between the third transmission member 122 and the fourth transmission member 123.

In this embodiment, the first and third transmission members 112, 122 are drive pulleys, and the first torque transmitted by the first transmission member 112 to the third transmission member 122 via the drive belt 114 causes the third transmission member 122 to rotate in the same direction as the first transmission member 112; the second and fourth transmission members 113, 123 are intermeshing gears such that a second torque transmitted by the second transmission member 113 to the fourth transmission member 123 may drive the fourth transmission member 123 in a reverse rotation relative to the first transmission member 112.

According to this embodiment, the first transmission ratio between the first transmission member 112 and the third transmission member 122 may be the same as or different from the second transmission ratio between the second transmission member 113 and the fourth transmission member 123. For example, the gear ratio between the first and third drive members 112, 122 may be changed by changing the diameter of the drive pulley. Similarly, the transmission ratio between the second transmission member 113 and the fourth transmission member 123 can also be changed using gears having different numbers of teeth.

In other embodiments, not shown, the first and third transmission members 112, 122 may be configured to rotate in opposite directions, while the second and fourth transmission members 113, 123 are configured to rotate in the same direction. Specifically, the method can be set according to the use environment. Further, although the second transmission member 113 and the fourth transmission member 123 shown in fig. 4 and 5 are bevel gears, in other embodiments they may be other forms of gears such as cylindrical gears.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as shown in fig. 7, the third transmission member 122 is mounted on the power output shaft 121 through a first bearing 1221, and the fourth transmission member 123 is mounted on the power output shaft 121 through a second bearing 1231. In a further preferred embodiment, the reversing mechanism 1000 may further comprise a first top ring 125 abutting against an outer end of the third transmission member 122 and a second top ring 125 'abutting against an outer end of the fourth transmission member 123, the first top ring 125 and the second top ring 125' being adapted to fix the position of the third transmission member 122 and the fourth transmission member 123 in the axial direction of the power output shaft to ensure a proper operation of the third transmission member 122 and the fourth transmission member 123.

According to this embodiment, the clutch mechanism 124 is a hydraulic clutch mechanism that includes a hydraulic cylinder 1241 fixed to the power output shaft 121, and a first chamber accommodating a first piston member 1242 and a second chamber accommodating a second piston member 1242 'are formed in the hydraulic cylinder 1241, the first piston member 1242 being configured to be separable from or engageable with the third transmission member 122, and the second piston member 1242' being configured to be separable from or engageable with the fourth transmission member 123.

Specifically, a first hydraulic chamber 1244 is formed on a side of the first piston member 1242 facing away from the third transmission member 122, and a second hydraulic chamber 1244 'is formed on a side of the second piston member 1242' facing away from the fourth transmission member 123, the first hydraulic chamber 1244 and the second hydraulic chamber 1244 'being in fluid communication with a hydraulic control mechanism (not shown) through a first fluid passage 1246 and a second fluid passage 1246', respectively, formed inside the power output shaft 121. Under the control of the hydraulic control mechanism, the hydraulic fluid medium is alternately pressed into the first hydraulic chamber 1244 and the second hydraulic chamber 1244', so that the internal pressure of the respective hydraulic chambers increases, pushing the respective piston members into engagement with or out of engagement from the corresponding transmission members.

Further preferably, as shown in fig. 8, the hydraulic cylinder 2241 may be integrally formed with the power output shaft 221, so that the need for sealing between the inner peripheral surface of the hydraulic cylinder 2241 and the outer peripheral surface of the power output shaft 221 can be advantageously eliminated.

Further preferably, as shown in fig. 7 and 8, a first clutch plate 1248 is provided between the first piston member 1242 and the third transmission member 122, and a second clutch plate 1248 'is provided between the second piston member 1242' and the fourth transmission member 123. The first clutch plate 1248 may be fixedly disposed on an outer end surface of the first piston member 1242 opposite the third transmission member 122, or fixedly disposed on an end surface of the third transmission member 122 opposite the first piston member 1242. Similarly, the second clutch plate 1248' may be fixedly disposed on an outer end surface of the second piston member 1242' opposite the fourth transmission member 123, or fixedly disposed on an end surface of the fourth transmission member 123 opposite the second piston member 1242 '. In one embodiment, not shown, the first clutch plate may comprise a pair of clutch plates fixedly disposed on respective surfaces of the first piston member 1242 opposite the third transmission member 122. The second clutch plate may also include a pair of clutch plates fixedly disposed on surfaces of the second piston member 1242' opposite the fourth transmission member 123, respectively.

It is further preferred that the first chamber accommodating the first piston member 1242 and the second chamber accommodating the second piston member 1242 'are each formed as an annular groove centered on the axis of the power output shaft 121, and that the first piston member 1242 and the second piston member 1242' are each annular piston members. In this way, the structure on the power output shaft 121 can be advantageously constructed to be rotationally symmetrical, thereby facilitating smooth output of rotational power.

Further preferably, as shown in fig. 7, each of the first piston member 1242 and the second piston member 1242' may be formed to have a plunger section and a rotation fixing section in the axial direction of the power output shaft 121, the rotation fixing section being fixed in the rotation direction with respect to the hydraulic cylinder or the power output shaft 121 by a fixing structure. Specifically, the outer circumferential surface of the rotation fixing section may be formed to have a spline-or gear-like structure, which cooperates with a corresponding structure formed on the inner surface of a corresponding portion in the chamber accommodating the piston member such that the first piston member 1242 and the second piston member 1242 'are fixed in a rotation direction with respect to the power output shaft 121, and thus the rotational movement of the first piston member 1242 and the second piston member 1242' can rotate the power output shaft 121.

Further preferably, as shown in the right part of fig. 8, an annular first seal groove is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the plunger section of the first piston member 1242, an annular second seal groove is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the first chamber accommodating the first piston member 1242, the first seal groove corresponds in position to the second seal groove in the axial direction of the power output shaft 121, and an elastic seal ring 1247 is provided in the first seal groove and the second seal groove. Specifically, a first portion of the elastic seal 1247 is disposed within the first seal groove, and a second portion of the elastic seal 1247 is disposed within the second seal groove. By arranging the sealing ring in this way, not only can the fluid seal of the hydraulic cavity be realized, but also the piston member can be helped to reset by utilizing the elastic restoring force of the sealing ring after the pressure of the hydraulic cavity is released.

As shown in fig. 8, it is also possible to provide an annular seal groove on the inner peripheral surface of the first piston member 1242, and another annular seal groove on the outer peripheral surface of the power take-off shaft (or the inner peripheral surface of the first chamber) at a corresponding position, and another seal ring 1247 is provided in both seal grooves in the same manner.

According to a preferred embodiment, as shown in the left part of fig. 8, the same sealing structure as the first piston member 1242 and the first chamber is provided between the second piston member 1242' and the wall of the second chamber.

In one exemplary embodiment, in the depressurized state of the first hydraulic chamber 1244, the distance between the end face of the first piston member 1242 (the end face of the clutch in the case where the clutch plate is provided) and the end face of the third transmission member 123 (the end face of the clutch in the case where the clutch plate is provided) is set to 0.2mm. In a state where the first hydraulic pressure chamber 1244 is pressurized, the first piston member 1242 moves toward and engages with the third transmission member 123, and two opposing seal grooves mounting the seal ring 1247 are displaced in the axial direction, so that the seal ring 1247 is elastically deformed. When the pressurized state is released, the elastic restoring force of the seal ring 1247 itself contributes to the rapid return of the first piston member 1242 to the depressurized state.

In this embodiment, the reversing mechanism 1000 further includes a rotation output 1249 that is fixed to the power output shaft 121. In a preferred embodiment, as shown in fig. 7 and 8, the rotation output part 1249 is fixed to the radially outer side of the hydraulic cylinder 1241. In a further preferred embodiment, the rotary output 1249 is integrally formed with the hydraulic cylinder 1241. The rotational output 1249 may take many possible forms, and in an embodiment of the present invention, the rotational output 1249 is a gear portion for meshing with the internal teeth of an external driven member.

In this embodiment, the reversing mechanism 1000 of the invention can effect reversing of the rotational movement by operating the hydraulic clutch mechanism 124. An exemplary operation is as follows.

As shown in fig. 1, the power input shaft 111 is rotated clockwise by an external power source (not shown), for example, by a spline portion at the right end of the power input shaft 111, and the power input shaft 111 rotates clockwise by a first transmission member 112 and a second transmission member 113 fixedly mounted thereon. The first transmission member 112 drives the third transmission part 122 to rotate clockwise, and the second transmission member 113 drives the fourth transmission part 123 to rotate counterclockwise. As shown in fig. 5, when a hydraulic control mechanism (not shown) pressurizes the first hydraulic chamber 1244 through the first fluid passage 1246 while depressurizing the second hydraulic chamber 1244' through the second fluid passage 1246', the first piston member 1242 moves to the right, engages the third transmission member 122 through the clutch plate, while the second piston member 1242' remains disengaged from the fourth transmission member 123. When the first piston member 1242 is engaged with the third transmission member 122, the third transmission member 122 drives the first piston member 1242 to rotate clockwise, and the first piston member 1242 drives the hydraulic cylinder 1241 to rotate clockwise, so that the rotation output part 1249 rotates clockwise. Conversely, when the hydraulic control mechanism pressurizes the second hydraulic chamber 1244' through the second fluid passage 1246' while depressurizing the first hydraulic chamber 1244 through the first fluid passage 1246, the second piston member 1242' moves to the left, engaging the fourth transmission member 123 through the clutch plate while the first piston member 1242 remains disengaged from the third transmission member 122. When the second piston member 1242' is engaged with the fourth transmission member 123, the fourth transmission member 123 drives the second piston member 1242' to rotate counterclockwise, and the second piston member 242' drives the hydraulic cylinder 241 to rotate counterclockwise, so that the rotation output portion 249 rotates counterclockwise.

The description of the wheel module according to the present invention is continued.

According to a preferred embodiment, the rotary output 811 is a gear portion and transmits rotary motion to the input of the bi-directional clutch 814 through a speed increasing mechanism. The speed increasing mechanism may include a shaft 803 and a first gear 812 and a second gear 813 provided on the shaft 803. The first gear 812 meshes with a gear portion of the rotation output portion 811 of the reversing mechanism, and the second gear 813 meshes with a gear provided at an input end of the bidirectional clutch 814. In order to achieve the speed increasing function, the first gear 812 is provided to have a smaller diameter with respect to the rotation output portion 811, so that the rotation speed can be increased. The first gear 812 has a smaller diameter than the second gear 813, and thus the linear speed of the second gear 813 can be increased, and the rotational speed of the input end of the bidirectional clutch 814 engaged with the second gear 813 can be increased.

The bi-directional clutch 814 may employ a variety of conventional bi-directional clutches. In a preferred embodiment, bi-directional clutch 814 is a self-locking bi-directional clutch that is capable of suppressing yaw jitter during wheel braking, thereby improving vehicle ride safety.

The variable speed transmission 815 can comprise a hydraulic stepless speed changer, has the characteristics of quick response and the like, is convenient for realizing the automation and the intellectualization of vehicle control, can flexibly perform the speed-down or speed-up operation, and can adjust the angular speed and the steering torque of the steering of the wheels at any time according to the needs. The variable speed drive 815 includes an input shaft 805 and an output shaft 806. The input shaft 805 receives the rotational force from the output shaft 804 of the bi-directional clutch 814, and the output shaft 806 is used to transmit the rotational force to the steering output shaft 14. The output shaft 806 may be geared with the steering output shaft 14, for example, to transmit rotational force. Since the steering output shaft 14 is restrained on the motor bracket and the upper end is fixed (e.g., by a spline) by the steering upper bracket 1 so as not to rotate, the output shaft 806 rotates around the steering output shaft 14 due to the reaction force, thereby driving the motor bracket 3 to rotate and realizing the steering function of the wheels.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the shock absorbing mechanism of the vehicle chassis includes an upper swing arm 12 connected to the steering upper bracket 1, a lower swing arm 13 connected to the steering lower bracket 10, and a shock absorber 11 connected to the lower swing arm 12. The upper swing arm 12 and the lower swing arm 13 are used for restraining the rotation movement of the steering bracket so as to be non-rotatable. According to one embodiment, the front ends of the upper swing arm 12 and the lower swing arm 13 form lateral shaft portions that respectively mate with shaft hole portions formed in the steering upper bracket 1 and the steering lower bracket 10. The shaft-shaft hole mating structure according to the embodiment of the present invention can provide higher structural strength and stability than the conventional ball joint structure. In a further preferred embodiment, a bushing is also provided between the inner surface of the axle bore and the outer surface of the axle to reduce friction, extend structural life and enable improved performance of the shock absorbing system and improve ride comfort.

The working principle of the wheel module according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is as follows:

when the hub motor 9 works, power is transmitted to the wheels 15 through the driving force clutch 4, so that the running function of the vehicle is realized; the power is transmitted to the steering mechanism through the reversing transmission mechanism 8, so that the steering function is realized; when the vehicle speed is zero and the vehicle turns in situ, the driving force clutch 4 is in a decoupling state, the power is not transmitted to the wheels, but the bidirectional clutch 814 in the reversing transmission mechanism 8 is in an engaging state, and the steering system works; when the vehicle runs straight, the driving force clutch 4 is in an engaged state, the bidirectional clutch 814 in the reversing transmission mechanism 8 is in a decoupling state, and meanwhile, the self-locking function can be further provided to ensure the capability of the wheels to run straight; when the vehicle needs to turn during running, the driving force clutch 4 and the reversing transmission mechanism 8 are both in an engaged state; the steering direction of the wheels 15 can be switched at any time through a reversing mechanism in the reversing transmission mechanism 8, and the angular speed and/or torque of the steering of the wheels 15 can be adjusted at any time according to the requirements through a variable speed transmission mechanism 815 in the reversing transmission mechanism 8.

While possible embodiments are exemplarily described in the above description, it should be understood that there are numerous variations of the embodiments, still through all known and furthermore easily conceivable combinations of technical features and embodiments by the skilled person. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. The foregoing description will provide the skilled person with a further technical guide for converting at least one exemplary embodiment, wherein various modifications, for example using other forms of form-fitting connections, may be made without departing from the scope of the claims.

Reference sign columnWatch (watch)

1. Steering upper bracket

2. Ball bowl group bearing

3. Hub motor bracket

4. Driving force clutch

5. Caliper

6. Brake disc

7. Planetary speed reducer

8. Reversing transmission mechanism

9. Hub motor

10. Steering down support

11. Shock absorber

12. Upper swing arm

13. Lower swing arm

14. Steering output shaft

15. Wheel of vehicle

16. Lower ball head

17. Motor output shaft

801. Reversing mechanism input shaft

802. Output shaft of reversing mechanism

803. Shaft of speed increasing mechanism

804. Output shaft of bidirectional clutch

805. Input shaft of variable speed transmission mechanism

806. Input shaft of variable speed transmission mechanism

810. Reversing mechanism

811. Rotary output part of reversing mechanism

812. First gear of speed increasing mechanism

813. Second gear of speed increasing mechanism

814. Bidirectional clutch

815. Variable speed transmission mechanism

1000. Transmission mechanism

111. Power input shaft

112. First transmission member

113. Second transmission member

114. Transmission belt

121. Power output shaft

122. Third transmission member

123. Fourth transmission member

124. Clutch mechanism

125. First top ring

125' second top ring

1221. First bearing

1231. Second bearing

1241. Hydraulic cylinder

1242. First piston member

1242' second piston member

1244. First hydraulic chamber

1244' second hydraulic chamber

1246. First fluid channel

1246' second fluid passage

1247. Sealing ring

1248. First clutch plate

1248' second clutch plate

1249. Rotary output unit

Claims

A wheel module, comprising:

a reversing mechanism having an input shaft and an output shaft, and configured to operatively output rotational motion input by the input shaft from the output shaft in the same or opposite rotational direction;

a motor, an output shaft of which can be connected to a hub of a wheel to drive the wheel to rotate, and an output shaft of which can also be connected to an input shaft of the reversing mechanism;

the steering mechanism is used for realizing steering of wheels; and

and a bidirectional clutch disposed between the reversing mechanism and the steering mechanism for operatively outputting an output of an output shaft of the reversing mechanism to an input of the steering mechanism.
The wheel module of claim 1, wherein the steering mechanism includes a hydraulic steering system including a hydraulic clutch secured to an output shaft of the steering mechanism.
The wheel module according to claim 2, wherein the hydraulic steering system includes a rotary output fixedly disposed radially outward of the hydraulic clutch.
The wheel module of claim 3, wherein the wheel module further comprises a speed increasing mechanism connected between the reversing mechanism and the rotational output of the bi-directional clutch.
The wheel module of claim 1, wherein the bi-directional clutch comprises a self-locking bi-directional clutch.
The wheel module of claim 1, wherein the wheel module further comprises a drive force clutch disposed between the output shaft of the motor and the hub of the wheel, the drive force clutch being operable to selectively transmit the drive force of the motor to the hub of the wheel.
The wheel module of claim 1, wherein the wheel module further comprises a variable speed drive coupled between the bi-directional clutch and the steering mechanism.
The wheel module of claim 7, wherein the variable speed drive comprises a hydraulic continuously variable transmission.
The wheel module of claim 7, wherein the steering mechanism comprises:

the input end of the steering output shaft is meshed with an output shaft gear of the speed change transmission mechanism; and

the steering support is arranged to be non-rotatable and is fixedly connected with the output end of the steering output shaft in a non-rotatable manner.
A vehicle chassis comprising the wheel module of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the vehicle chassis further comprises a shock absorbing mechanism connected to the vehicle control mechanism, the shock absorbing mechanism comprising:

a swing arm connected to the steering mechanism; and

a shock absorber connected to the swing arm,

the swing arm has a shaft portion that mates with the shaft hole portion of the steering mechanism, and a bushing is provided between the shaft hole portion and the shaft portion.
A control method for the wheel module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising:

operating the bi-directional clutch to engage the output shaft of the reversing mechanism to the steering mechanism; and

the motor torque is transmitted to the steering mechanism through the reversing mechanism so as to realize steering of wheels.
The control method according to claim 11, wherein the wheel module further includes a driving force clutch provided between an output shaft of the motor and a hub of the wheel; and is also provided with

The control method further includes:

before starting the motor, operating the driving force clutch to be in a decoupling state so as to realize the in-situ steering of the wheels; or alternatively

Before the motor is started, the driving force clutch is operated to be in an engaged state to achieve wheel steering during running of the vehicle.
The control method according to claim 11, further comprising:

the reversing mechanism is operated to switch the direction in which the vehicle turns.
The control method according to claim 11, wherein the wheel module further includes a speed change transmission mechanism connected between the two-way clutch and the steering mechanism; and is also provided with

The control method further includes: the variable speed drive is operated to adjust the angular speed and/or torque of the wheel steering.