WO2026021590A1 - Steering mechanism and vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

A steering mechanism, comprising a circulating ball steering gear, a driving rocker arm, a driven rocker arm, a driven rocker arm shaft and a steering tie rod, wherein the circulating ball steering gear is connected to a first end of the driving rocker arm; the driven rocker arm shaft is connected to a first end of the driven rocker arm; a second end of the driving rocker arm and a second end of the driven rocker arm are connected to the steering tie rod; and two ends of the steering tie rod are connected to tires.

Description

Steering mechanism and vehicle

Cross-reference to related applications

This application is based on and claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411008761.1, filed on July 25, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

This disclosure relates to the field of automotive control equipment technology, and more particularly to a steering mechanism and a vehicle.

Background Technology

Most traditional trucks or buses use non-independent suspension with recirculating ball steering to achieve steering function. Non-independent suspension has a simple structure and low cost, but poor comfort. To improve driving comfort or off-road performance, some trucks need to adopt independent suspension design. Traditional trucks or buses are vehicles with large front axle loads. Currently, only recirculating ball steering can meet the steering resistance torque requirements of trucks. However, arranging the recirculating ball steering under the front floor of the cab of traditional trucks or buses will lead to a complex linkage mechanism. In terms of space layout, it needs to occupy the space above the longitudinal beams, resulting in excessive longitudinal space occupation of the linkage mechanism and a narrow range of applications.

Therefore, how to reduce the longitudinal space occupied by the steering mechanism is a technical problem that needs to be solved by those skilled in the art.

Summary of the Invention

In view of this, the first objective of this disclosure is to provide a steering mechanism that reduces the longitudinal space occupied by the steering mechanism;

The second objective of this disclosure is to provide a vehicle.

To achieve the first objective mentioned above, this disclosure provides the following technical solution:

A first aspect of this disclosure provides a steering mechanism, including a recirculating ball steering gear, a driving rocker arm, a driven rocker arm, a driven rocker arm shaft, and a steering tie rod, wherein:

The recirculating ball steering gear is connected to the first end of the main rocker arm, and the second end of the main rocker arm can rotate about the first end of the main rocker arm in a planar direction;

The rocker arm shaft is connected to the first end of the rocker arm, and the second end of the rocker arm can rotate about the first end of the rocker arm in a planar direction;

The second end of the active rocker arm and the second end of the active rocker arm are connected to the steering tie rod, and the steering tie rod can be driven to move in a straight line.

The two ends of the steering tie rod are used to connect the tires.

In some embodiments, the recirculating ball steering gear in the above-described steering mechanism further includes a splined shaft connected to the active rocker arm.

In some embodiments, the steering mechanism described above further includes a first ball joint and a second ball joint. The first ball joint is used to connect the second end of the active rocker arm to the steering tie rod, and the second ball joint is used to connect the second end of the passive rocker arm to the steering tie rod.

In some embodiments, the steering mechanism described above further includes a first shaft and a second shaft. The first shaft is used to connect the second end of the driving rocker arm to the steering tie rod, and the second shaft is used to connect the second end of the driven rocker arm to the steering tie rod.

In some embodiments, the steering mechanism described above further includes a left steering tie rod and a right steering tie rod. The first end of the left steering tie rod is connected to the first end of the steering tie rod, and its second end is connected to the tire. The first end of the right steering tie rod is connected to the second end of the steering tie rod, and its second end is connected to the tire.

In some embodiments, the steering mechanism described above further includes a third ball joint and a fourth ball joint, wherein the third ball joint is used to connect the left steering tie rod and the steering tie rod, and the fourth ball joint is used to connect the right steering tie rod and the steering tie rod.

In some embodiments, in the steering mechanism described above, the center points of the first ball joint, the second ball joint, the third ball joint, and the fourth ball joint are located on the same straight line, the lengths of the active rocker arm and the driven rocker arm are the same, and the active rocker arm and the driven rocker arm are arranged in parallel.

In some embodiments, the steering mechanism described above further includes a fifth ball joint, a sixth ball joint, a first steering knuckle, and a second steering knuckle. The fifth ball joint is used to connect the left steering tie rod to the first steering knuckle, and the first steering knuckle is connected to the tire. The sixth ball joint is used to connect the right steering tie rod to the second steering knuckle, and the second steering knuckle is connected to the tire.

The steering mechanism disclosed herein features a recirculating ball steering gear and a parallel design with the steering tie rod. The recirculating ball steering gear can be positioned under the vehicle's seat, thereby reducing the longitudinal space occupied by the steering mechanism and making it suitable for cabs with various floor heights. In use, the recirculating ball steering gear drives the second end of the main rocker arm to rotate in a planar direction. The main rocker arm drives the steering tie rod to move in a straight line, and the steering tie rod drives the driven rocker arm to rotate in a planar direction. At this time, the main rocker arm, the driven rocker arm, and the steering tie rod form a parallelogram, converting the torque of the recirculating ball steering gear into the axial force of the steering tie rod, which in turn drives the tire to rotate.

To achieve the second objective mentioned above, this disclosure provides the following technical solution:

A vehicle includes a frame, tires, and a steering mechanism as described above, wherein a recirculating ball steering gear and a rocker arm of the steering mechanism are rigidly connected to the frame, the tires are connected to the steering mechanism, and the steering mechanism is used to control the rotation of the tires.

The vehicle disclosed herein possesses all the technical effects of the aforementioned steering mechanism, and will not be described in detail here.

Attached Figure Description

To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

Figure 1 is an overall structural diagram of the steering mechanism disclosed in an embodiment of this disclosure;

Figure 2 is a structural diagram of an embodiment of the steering mechanism disclosed in this disclosure;

Figure 3 is a structural diagram of an embodiment of the steering mechanism disclosed in this disclosure;

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the steering mechanism turning left according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the steering mechanism for right-turning disclosed in an embodiment of this disclosure;

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the steering mechanism for tire bounce disclosed in an embodiment of this disclosure;

Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the steering mechanism when the tire bounces down according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

Figure 8 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the steering mechanism disclosed in the embodiments of this disclosure.

in:

100 recirculating ball steering gear, 200 active rocker arm, 300 driven rocker arm, 400 driven rocker arm shaft, 500 steering tie rod, 600 first ball joint, 601 second ball joint, 602 third ball joint, 603 fourth ball joint, 604 fifth ball joint, 605 sixth ball joint, 606 clamp tube, 700 right steering tie rod, 800 left steering tie rod, 900 tire.

Detailed Implementation

The technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this disclosure, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without novelty are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

In the description of this disclosure, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "top surface," "bottom surface," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this disclosure and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the position or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this disclosure. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

As shown in Figures 1-8, the steering mechanism disclosed in this disclosure includes a recirculating ball steering gear 100, an active rocker arm 200, a driven rocker arm 300, a driven rocker arm shaft 400, and a steering tie rod 500. The recirculating ball steering gear 100 is connected to the first end of the active rocker arm 200, and the second end of the active rocker arm 200 can rotate around the first end of the active rocker arm 200 in a planar direction. The driven rocker arm shaft 400 is connected to the first end of the driven rocker arm 300, and the second end of the driven rocker arm 300 can rotate around the first end of the driven rocker arm 300 in a planar direction. The second ends of the active rocker arm 200 and the second ends of the driven rocker arm 300 are connected to the steering tie rod 500 and can drive the steering tie rod 500 to move in a straight line. The two ends of the steering tie rod 500 are used to connect tires 900.

Specifically, the operating principle of the recirculating ball steering gear 100 is as follows: the operator turns the steering wheel, causing the screw to rotate; the screw drives the gear sector to rotate reciprocally; the output rocker arm is connected to the gear sector to achieve reciprocating motion, pulling the steering wheel to swing. The steering mechanism provided in this disclosure can lower the height of the cab floor, allowing for one-step entry into the vehicle; and this arrangement is closer to the steering shaft, which helps to simplify the steering mechanism. The steering mechanism disclosed herein features a recirculating ball steering gear 100 and a steering tie rod 500 designed in parallel. The recirculating ball steering gear 100 can be positioned under the vehicle's seat, thereby reducing the longitudinal space occupied by the steering mechanism and making it suitable for cabs with various floor heights. In use, the recirculating ball steering gear 100 drives the second end of the active rocker arm 200 to rotate in a planar direction. The active rocker arm 200 drives the steering tie rod 500 to move in a straight line, and the steering tie rod 500 drives the driven rocker arm 300 to rotate in a planar direction. At this time, the active rocker arm 200, the driven rocker arm 300, and the steering tie rod 500 form a parallelogram, converting the torque of the recirculating ball steering gear 100 into the axial force of the steering tie rod 500, which in turn drives the tire 900 to rotate.

In some embodiments, the recirculating ball steering gear 100 further includes a splined shaft connected to the active rocker arm 200. Specifically, the splined shaft is located at the bottom of the recirculating ball steering gear 100, and the first end of the active rocker arm 200 has a mounting hole for connecting the splined shaft. In use, the recirculating ball steering gear 100 controls the rotation of the splined shaft, which drives the first end of the active rocker arm 200 to rotate around its own axis. The second end of the active rocker arm 200 drives the steering tie rod 500 to move, thereby realizing the rotation of the tire 900. By arranging the splined shaft, the requirements for bearing high loads can be met, thus ensuring the stability of the transmission between the recirculating ball steering gear 100 and the active rocker arm 200.

In some embodiments, the steering mechanism further includes a first ball joint 600 and a second ball joint 601, wherein the first ball joint 600 is used to connect the second end of the active rocker arm 200 to the steering tie rod 500, and the second ball joint 601 is used to connect the second end of the driven rocker arm 300 to the steering tie rod 500. Specifically, the first ball joint 600 and the second ball joint 601 mentioned in this disclosure both include a ball joint shaft and a ball joint seat. In use, the ball joint shaft of the first ball joint 600 is connected to the second end of the active rocker arm 200, and the ball joint seat of the first ball joint 600 is connected to the steering tie rod 500. The ball joint shaft of the second ball joint 601 is connected to the second end of the driven rocker arm 300, and the ball joint seat of the second ball joint 601 is connected to the steering tie rod 500, so as to realize the stable transmission of the active rocker arm 200, the driven rocker arm 300 and the steering tie rod 500. Because the transmission of the active rocker arm 200, the driven rocker arm 300 and the steering tie rod 500 is on the same horizontal plane, the space occupied by the steering mechanism in the longitudinal direction is further reduced, and the application range of the steering mechanism is expanded.

In some embodiments, the steering mechanism further includes a first shaft and a second shaft. The first shaft connects the second end of the active rocker arm 200 to the steering tie rod 500, and the second shaft connects the second end of the driven rocker arm 300 to the steering tie rod 500. Specifically, both the second ends of the active rocker arm 200 and the driven rocker arm 300 have mounting holes for connecting the shafts. In use, the first shaft passes through the mounting holes of the steering tie rod 500 and the second end of the active rocker arm 200, connecting the steering tie rod 500 to the active rocker arm 200. The second shaft passes through the mounting holes of the steering tie rod 500 and the second end of the driven rocker arm 300, connecting the steering tie rod 500 to the driven rocker arm 300, thereby achieving stable transmission between the active rocker arm 200, the driven rocker arm 300, and the steering tie rod 500. This arrangement simplifies the structure of the steering mechanism, thus helping to reduce the overall vehicle cost.

In some embodiments, the steering mechanism further includes a left steering tie rod 800 and a right steering tie rod 700, with a first end of the left steering tie rod 800 connected to a first end of the steering tie rod 500 and a second end connected to the tire 900, and a first end of the right steering tie rod 700 connected to a second end of the steering tie rod 500 and a second end connected to the tire 900.

Specifically, the difference between the aforementioned pivot connection and ball joint connection is that the two components connected by the ball joint can swing and rotate freely around the center point of the ball, while the two components connected by the pivot can only rotate around the axis. The degrees of freedom constrained by the two are different. Therefore, when the connection between the active rocker arm 200 and the driven rocker arm 300 and the steering tie rod 500 is a pivot connection, the connection points of the left steering tie rod 800 and the right steering tie rod 700 and the steering tie rod 500 can be arbitrarily arranged and do not need to be coaxial with the center points of the first pivot and the second pivot. When the connection between the active rocker arm 200 and the driven rocker arm 300 and the steering tie rod 500 is a ball joint connection, the connection points of the left steering tie rod 800 and the right steering tie rod 700 and the steering tie rod 500 need to be on the same axis as the center points of the first ball joint 600 and the second ball joint 601. It enables independent suspension vehicles with high front axle loads to use recirculating ball steering systems 100, reducing development costs and time; it can be used with low-cabin trucks or buses, improving convenience; the simple mechanism layout helps reduce overall vehicle cost and weight, maintenance costs and convenience.

In some embodiments, the steering mechanism further includes a third ball joint 602 and a fourth ball joint 603. The third ball joint 602 connects the left steering tie rod 800 to the steering tie rod 500, and the fourth ball joint 603 connects the right steering tie rod 700 to the steering tie rod 500. Specifically, the third ball joint 602 and the left steering tie rod 800 are integrated, and the fourth ball joint 603 and the right steering tie rod 700 are integrated. The steering mechanism also includes a ball joint seat for the third ball joint 602 and a ball joint seat for the fourth ball joint 603. The ball joint seat for the third ball joint 602 is connected to the first end of the steering tie rod 500, and the ball joint seat for the fourth ball joint 603 is connected to the second end of the steering tie rod 500. In use, the left steering tie rod 800 and the right steering tie rod 700 can rotate around the center of the ball joints of the third ball joint 602 and the fourth ball joint 603 as the two tires 900 bounce, so that the vehicle can still maintain its steering function when the two tires 900 bounce. Under the action of the third ball joint 602 and the fourth ball joint 603, the tires 900 can bounce up and down to meet the driving needs of the vehicle.

In some embodiments, the center points of the first ball joint 600, the second ball joint 601, the third ball joint 602, and the fourth ball joint 603 are located on the same straight line. The active rocker arm 200 and the driven rocker arm 300 are of the same length and are arranged in parallel. Specifically, the active rocker arm 200, the driven rocker arm 300, and the steering tie rod 500 only need to satisfy a parallelogram structure, and the relative positions of their connection points can be arbitrarily arranged. Specifically, the active rocker arm 200 and the driven rocker arm should remain parallel and of equal length to ensure the degree of freedom of the steering mechanism. In use, the active rocker arm 200, the driven rocker arm 300, and the steering tie rod 500 move simultaneously, and a parallelogram structure is always formed between the active rocker arm 200, the driven rocker arm 300, and the steering tie rod 500 to meet the steering requirements of the vehicle. Because the center points of the first ball joint 600, the second ball joint 601, the third ball joint 602, and the fourth ball joint 603 are located on the same straight line, and the active rocker arm 200, the driven rocker arm 300, and the steering tie rod 500 satisfy the parallelogram structure, the steering mechanism is flattened, which further simplifies the steering mechanism, reduces the space occupied by the steering mechanism in the longitudinal direction, and thus expands the application range of the steering mechanism.

In some embodiments, the steering mechanism further includes a fifth ball joint 604, a sixth ball joint 605, a first steering knuckle, and a second steering knuckle. The fifth ball joint 604 connects the left steering tie rod 800 to the first steering knuckle, which is connected to the tire 900. The sixth ball joint 605 connects the right steering tie rod 700 to the second steering knuckle, which is also connected to the tire 900. Specifically, the first and second steering knuckles are fixedly connected to the two tires 900 respectively. The first and second steering knuckles transmit and bear the front load of the vehicle, support and drive the tires 900 to rotate around the kingpin, thereby steering the vehicle. Further, the left steering tie rod 800 and the right steering tie rod 700 can be connected to the ball joint seats of the fifth ball joint 604 and the sixth ball joint 605 respectively via clamps 606. The left steering tie rod 800 and the right steering tie rod 700 can also be screwed to the fifth ball joint 604 and the sixth ball joint 605, which will not be elaborated further here.

The vehicle disclosed herein includes a frame, a tire 900, and a steering mechanism as described above. The recirculating ball steering gear 100 and the rocker arm 300 of the steering mechanism are rigidly connected to the frame. The tire 900 is connected to the steering mechanism, which is used to control the rotation of the tire 900.

The vehicle disclosed herein possesses all the technical effects of the aforementioned steering mechanism, and will not be described in detail here.

The advantages of this disclosure are:

(1) It reduces the space occupied by the steering mechanism in the longitudinal direction;

(2) It expands the scope of application of the steering mechanism;

(3) Reduced overall vehicle cost and weight. It should be noted that the steering mechanism and vehicle provided in this disclosure can be used in the field of automotive control equipment technology or other fields. Other fields refer to any field other than the field of automotive control equipment technology. The above is merely an example and does not limit the application areas of the steering mechanism and vehicle provided in this disclosure.

In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this disclosure according to the specific circumstances.

In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

The various embodiments in this disclosure are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to mutually.

The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use this disclosure. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "an embodiment," "example," "specific example," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this disclosure. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

The embodiments disclosed above are merely illustrative of this disclosure. The above embodiments do not exhaustively describe all details, nor do they limit the disclosure to specific implementations. Clearly, many modifications and variations can be made based on the content of this specification. This specification selects and specifically describes these embodiments to better explain the principles and practical applications of this disclosure, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to better understand and utilize this disclosure. This disclosure is limited only by the claims and their full scope and equivalents.

Claims (10)

A steering mechanism includes a recirculating ball steering gear, a driving rocker arm, a driven rocker arm, a driven rocker arm shaft, and a steering tie rod, wherein: The recirculating ball steering gear is connected to the first end of the main rocker arm, and the second end of the main rocker arm can rotate about the first end of the main rocker arm in a planar direction; The driven rocker arm shaft is connected to the first end of the driven rocker arm, and the second end of the driven rocker arm is rotatable about the first end of the driven rocker arm in a planar direction; The second end of the active rocker arm and the second end of the driven rocker arm are connected to the steering tie rod and can drive the steering tie rod to move in a straight line; The two ends of the steering tie rod are used to connect the tires. The steering mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recirculating ball steering gear further includes a splined shaft connected to the active rocker arm. The steering mechanism as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the steering mechanism further includes a first ball joint and a second ball joint, the first ball joint being used to connect the second end of the active rocker arm to the steering tie rod, and the second ball joint being used to connect the second end of the driven rocker arm to the steering tie rod. The steering mechanism as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the steering mechanism further includes a first pivot and a second pivot, the first pivot being used to connect the second end of the active rocker arm to the steering tie rod, and the second pivot being used to connect the second end of the driven rocker arm to the steering tie rod. The steering mechanism as described in claim 3, wherein the steering mechanism further includes a left steering tie rod and a right steering tie rod, a first end of the left steering tie rod being connected to a first end of the steering cross tie rod and a second end of the left steering tie rod being connected to a tire, and a first end of the right steering tie rod being connected to a second end of the steering cross tie rod and a second end of the right steering tie rod being connected to a tire. The steering mechanism as described in claim 5, wherein the steering mechanism further includes a third ball joint and a fourth ball joint, the third ball joint being used to connect the left steering tie rod and the steering tie rod, and the fourth ball joint being used to connect the right steering tie rod and the steering tie rod. The steering mechanism as described in claim 6, wherein the center points of the first ball joint, the second ball joint, the third ball joint, and the fourth ball joint are located on the same straight line, the active rocker arm and the driven rocker arm have the same length, and the active rocker arm and the driven rocker arm are arranged in parallel. The steering mechanism as described in any one of claims 1-7, wherein the steering mechanism further comprises a fifth ball joint, a sixth ball joint, a first steering knuckle, and a second steering knuckle, the fifth ball joint being used to connect the left steering tie rod to the first steering knuckle, the first steering knuckle being connected to the tire, and the sixth ball joint being used to connect the right steering tie rod to the second steering knuckle, the second steering knuckle being connected to the tire. The steering mechanism as described in claim 8, wherein the left steering tie rod and the right steering tie rod are respectively connected to the ball joint seat of the fifth ball joint and the ball joint seat of the sixth ball joint via clamps, or the left steering tie rod and the right steering tie rod are respectively screwed to the fifth ball joint and the sixth ball joint. A vehicle includes a frame, a tire, and a steering mechanism as described in any one of claims 1-9, wherein a recirculating ball steering gear and a driven rocker arm of the steering mechanism are rigidly connected to the frame, the tire is connected to the steering mechanism, and the steering mechanism is used to control the rotation of the tire.