RU2309867C2 - Device to automatically adjust steerable wheels toe-in in running - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: transport engineering.

SUBSTANCE: invention can be used to provided automatic adjustment of toe-in of steerable wheels in motion and reduce to minimum wear of tires, reduce resistance to motion and consumption of fuel. Proposed device contains sensors of side reaction of road acting onto steerable wheels, reversing mechanism to change working length of steering tie-rod and system to control said mechanism electrically coupled with sensors of side reaction of road. Said sensors are made in form of strain gauge transducers electrically connected into bridge circuit. Taper bearings of steerable wheels are installed on bushings with beads fitted on axles of steerable wheels. Said sensors are secured on end face surfaces of bushing beads. Electric signal amplifier is installed between diagonally opposite pair of junctions of bridge and electromagnetic coil whose core is coupled with spool of distributor.

EFFECT: increased sensitivity, improved accuracy and reliability in operation.

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Description

The proposed device relates to vehicles and can be used to provide automatic regulation of the convergence of the steered wheels during movement, providing reduced resistance to movement, minimal tire wear and fuel consumption.

A device is known for automatically controlling the convergence of steered wheels of a vehicle, comprising lateral force sensors acting on steered wheels, relays whose movable contact is connected to a corresponding gauge of lateral forces, a reversible mechanism for changing the working length of the transverse steering link, and a control system for said mechanism associated with the fixed relay contacts (AS USSR No. 453604, G01M 17/06, 1974).

The disadvantage of this device is the unreliability of operation caused by the presence of relays with movable and fixed contacts, which can operate when the wheels vibrate.

Closest to the proposed device is a device for automatically controlling the convergence of the steered wheels during movement, containing sensors for the side reaction of the road acting on the steered wheels, a reversing mechanism for changing the working length of the transverse steering link and a control system for this mechanism, electrically connected to the sensors for the side reaction of the road ( RF patent No. 49257, IPC G01M 17/06, published November 10, 2005), characterized in that a piezosensor is used as a sensor for the side reaction of the road nuts in the form of washers mounted on the axles of the steered wheels and electrically connected by a bridge circuit.

The device works well with a significant deviation of the convergence of the steered wheels, however, the disadvantages of this device are low sensitivity, as well as accuracy and reliability, because the side reaction sensors of the road also respond to axial forces arising in the cages of the tapered wheel bearings from the vertical load, and with a small deviation in the convergence of the steered wheels and, therefore, a small imbalance in the bridge circuit, the magnetic flux of the coil is insufficient to move the core and spool of the switchgear and with a slight violation of the convergence of the steered wheels, which is predominant in the process of movement, they are practically not eliminated, which leads to the preservation of increased wear and tear n and fuel consumption.

The technical result of the proposed device for automatically controlling the convergence of the steered wheels during movement is to increase the sensitivity, accuracy and reliability even with a small imbalance in the bridge circuit.

The specified technical result is achieved by the fact that the tapered bearings of the steered wheels are mounted on bushings with collars that are mounted on the axles of the steered wheels, and strain gauges are mounted on the end surfaces of the collars of the bushes, and between the diagonal of the bridge and the electromagnetic coil, the core of which is connected to the spool of the switchgear, electric signal amplifier.

A device for automatically controlling the convergence of the steered wheels during movement is shown in the drawing, which shows a general diagram of the proposed device.

The proposed device includes steered wheels 1 mounted through bearings mounted on bushings with flanges 2 on the axles 3. Strain gauges (electric sensors of the side reaction of the road) 4 are mounted on the end surfaces of the collars of the bushings, have the same electrical resistance and are connected according to the bridge circuit 6. Points A and B of the electric bridge 6 are connected to a power source 7, and points C and D are connected to an electromagnetic coil 8, the core of which is rigidly connected to the spool 9 of the flow distribution device 10 liquid. The device also contains a tank 11, a pump 12, a reversing mechanism for changing the working length of the transverse steering rod (hydraulic cylinder) 13 and an electric signal amplifier 14. Load cells (side reaction sensors) 4, an electric bridge 6, a power source 7, an electromagnetic coil, a switchgear 10 the fluid flow and the electric signal amplifier 14 form a control system for a reversible mechanism for changing the working length of the transverse steering rod 13.

The device operates as follows.

The electrical resistance of the sensors 4 of the lateral reaction of the road to the wheel 1 changes under the action of axial force during movement.

With the rectilinear movement of the car and the optimal convergence of the wheels, there are no lateral reactions of the road to the steered wheels, and the sensor resistances are equal to each other, so the voltage supplied from points C and D of the electric bridge 6 to the electromagnetic coil 8 is zero and the spool 9 of the switchgear 10 is in central (neutral) position.

When the convergence deviates to the positive or negative side, the steered wheels 1 due to side reactions of the road through the bushings with shoulders 2 will act on the sensors 4 and change their electrical resistance. In this case, between the points C and D of the bridge 6 there is a voltage supplied to the amplifier 14 and then to the electromagnetic coil 8. The current in the coil 8 will cause a magnetic flux moving the core of the coil 8 and the spool 9 of the switchgear 10 left or right, providing a supply of working fluid from pump 12 into one or another cavity of the hydraulic cylinder 13 (reverse mechanism for changing the working length of the transverse steering rod 5), thereby changing its length and providing the required toe-in of the wheels 1.

Thus, the proposed device for automatically controlling the convergence of the steered wheels during movement allows for optimal toe-in of the steered wheels even with a slight imbalance on the diagonal of the electric bridge, which increases the sensitivity, accuracy and reliability and ensures parallelness of the planes of rotation of the wheels under different driving modes (acceleration, coasting , braking), which helps to reduce resistance to movement, tire wear and fuel consumption.

Claims (1)

A device for automatically controlling the convergence of steered wheels during movement, comprising sensors for a side reaction of a road acting on steered wheels, a reversing mechanism for changing the working length of the steering tie rod and a control system for said mechanism, electrically connected to sensors for side reactions of the road, moreover, the sensors for side reactions of the road are electrically connected by a bridge circuit, characterized in that the tapered bearings of the steered wheels are mounted on bushings with collars that are planted s on the axles of the steered wheels, and the sensors are made in the form of strain gauges and mounted on the end surfaces of the collar of the bushings, and between the diagonal of the bridge and the electromagnetic coil, the core of which is connected to the spool of the switchgear, an electric signal amplifier is installed.