阅读说明：本技术 转向装置及具备该转向装置的车辆用车轮配设模块 (Steering device and vehicle wheel arrangement module provided with same ) 是由 佐野克幸 于 2020-01-07 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种转向装置及具备该转向装置的车辆用车轮配设模块,并提供实用性高的单轮转向装置。将转向装置(34)构成为包括：(a)转向节(14a),将车轮(12)以能够旋转的方式保持,并且经由第一接头(26)而以能够转动的方式支撑于悬架臂(16)；(b)转向致动器(36),配设于悬架臂；及(c)横拉杆(38),基端部连结于转向致动器,顶端部经由第二接头(42)而连结于转向节。由于转向致动器配设于构成相对于1个车轮的悬架装置的悬架臂,所以通过使用该转向装置来构成车辆用车轮配设模块,该模块使得能够简便地进行该模块向车身的组装作业。(The present invention relates to a steering device and a vehicle wheel arrangement module provided with the same, and provides a single-wheel steering device with high practicability. A steering device (34) is configured to include: (a) a knuckle (14a) that rotatably holds a wheel (12) and is rotatably supported by a suspension arm (16) via a first joint (26); (b) a steering actuator (36) disposed on the suspension arm; and (c) a tie rod (38) having a base end portion connected to the steering actuator and a tip end portion connected to the knuckle via a second joint (42). Since the steering actuator is disposed on the suspension arm constituting the suspension device for 1 wheel, the wheel mounting module for a vehicle is constituted by using the steering device, and the module enables the assembly work of the module to the vehicle body to be easily performed.)

1. A steering device is provided with:

a knuckle that rotatably holds a wheel and is rotatably supported by the suspension arm via a first joint;

a steering actuator disposed on the suspension arm; and

and a tie rod having a base end portion connected to the steering actuator and a tip end portion connected to the knuckle via a second joint.

2. The steering device according to claim 1,

the center of the second joint is located on a plane defined by the axis of rotation of the suspension arm and the center of the first joint.

3. The steering device according to claim 1 or 2,

applied to a macpherson type suspension device in which the suspension arm is a lower arm.

4. A wheel arrangement module for a vehicle, comprising:

a steering device according to any one of claims 1 to 3;

the suspension arm;

a wheel driving unit which is disposed inside a rim of the wheel, has a housing functioning as the knuckle, and has a driving motor for driving the wheel; and

and a suspension spring and a shock absorber which are arranged in parallel with each other between the suspension arm and the vehicle body.

5. The wheel-equipping module for a vehicle according to claim 4,

the vehicle further includes a brake device including a disc rotor that rotates together with the wheel, and a caliper that is held by a housing of the wheel drive unit so as to prevent rotation of the wheel by preventing rotation of the disc rotor.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a steering device for steering wheels and a vehicle wheel arrangement module including the steering device as a component for arranging wheels on a vehicle.

Background

A steering device that steers only 1 of a plurality of wheels arranged on a vehicle (in other words, a steering device that steers only one of the left and right 2 wheels) may be referred to as a "single-wheel steering device", and as this single-wheel steering device, for example, a steering device described in the following patent document is studied.

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

In the steering device described in the above patent document, the steering actuator is disposed in the vehicle body. Therefore, when the suspension device, the wheel rotation driving device, and the steering device are configured as 1 module (i.e., 1 vehicle wheel arrangement module), the steering device and the module are not practical. That is, the work for assembling the module to the vehicle becomes cumbersome. The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a steering device with high practicability and a vehicle wheel arrangement module with high practicability by providing the steering device.

Means for solving the problems

In order to solve the above problem, a steering device according to the present invention includes:

a knuckle that rotatably holds a wheel and is rotatably supported by the suspension arm via a first joint;

a steering actuator disposed on the suspension arm; and

and a tie rod having a base end connected to the steering actuator and a tip end connected to the knuckle via a second joint.

Further, a vehicle wheel arrangement module according to the present invention includes:

the steering device of the present invention described above;

the suspension arm;

a wheel driving unit which is disposed inside a rim of the wheel, has a housing functioning as the knuckle, and has a driving motor for driving the wheel; and

and a suspension spring and a shock absorber which are arranged in parallel with each other between the suspension arm and the vehicle body.

Effects of the invention

In the steering apparatus of the present invention, which is a one-wheel steering apparatus, since the steering actuator is disposed on the suspension arm constituting the suspension apparatus for 1 wheel, the steering apparatus is used to constitute a wheel arrangement module for a vehicle, which enables the assembly operation of the module to the vehicle body to be easily performed. That is, since the wheel arrangement module for a vehicle excellent in mountability to the vehicle can be configured, the steering device of the present invention is excellent in practicality. The vehicle wheel arrangement module of the present invention using the steering device of the present invention is a practical vehicle wheel arrangement module excellent in mountability to a vehicle.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a steering device according to an embodiment and a vehicle wheel arrangement module configured to include the steering device according to the embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a positional relationship between a first joint and a second joint in a conventional steering apparatus and a single-wheel steering apparatus designed based on the conventional steering apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a positional relationship of a first joint and a second joint in the steering device of the embodiment.

Detailed Description

The suspension device to which the steering device of the present invention is applied is not particularly limited. The present invention can be applied to various suspension devices such as macpherson type suspension devices and double-wishbone type suspension devices. For example, in the case of a macpherson type suspension device, the suspension arm on which the steering actuator is disposed may be the lower arm, and in the case of a double-wishbone type suspension device, either the lower arm or the upper arm may be used. The first joint and the second joint can adopt ball joints. The steering actuator may move the tie rod substantially in the axial direction thereof, and may have a structure in which a so-called steering rocker arm extending in a direction intersecting the tie rod and connected to a base end portion of the tie rod is pivoted. The steering actuator may be configured to include a motor as a driving source and a reduction gear for reducing the rotation of the motor. The tip end portion of the tie rod may be connected to an articulated arm of a knuckle, for example.

The structure of the steering actuator is not particularly limited, but when the steering actuator has an electric motor as a drive source, it is preferably disposed in a portion close to the base end portion of the suspension arm in consideration of wiring for supplying power to the electric motor, an inertial force acting on the steering actuator, an unsprung weight, and the like. Specifically, it is preferably disposed closer to the rotation axis of the suspension arm than an intermediate point between the rotation axis of the suspension arm and the center of the first joint.

When referring to the positional relationship between the first joint and the second joint, the center of the second joint is preferably located on a plane defined by the rotation axis of the suspension arm and the center of the first joint (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "arm reference plane"). Although the description will be omitted here, since the center of the second joint is located on the arm reference plane, it is possible to prevent or suppress a change in the steering angle (which may also be referred to as a "toe angle") associated with the rebound operation of the wheel. Note that "the center of the second joint is located on the arm reference plane" is a concept including the center of the second joint being located at a position where it can be assumed to be substantially located.

The wheel arrangement module for a vehicle according to the present invention can be regarded as a module that can hold a wheel on a vehicle body and that realizes a plurality of functions (specifically, a wheel turning function, a wheel steering function, and a vehicle body suspension function) required in association with the wheel in 1 unit. That is, the wheel rotation driving device, the wheel steering device, and the suspension device can be regarded as being modularized into 1 package. In order to also implement the wheel braking function, the vehicle wheel arrangement module of the present invention preferably also modularizes the brake device. Specifically, the brake device may be configured to include, for example, a disc rotor that rotates together with the wheel, and a caliper that is held by a housing of the wheel drive unit so as to prevent the rotation of the wheel by preventing the rotation of the disc rotor.