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DE-102020111042-B4 - Wheel module for a motor vehicle and corresponding motor vehicle

DE102020111042B4DE 102020111042 B4DE102020111042 B4DE 102020111042B4DE-102020111042-B4

Abstract

Wheel module (10) for a motor vehicle, with - a wheel (12), - a wheel guide (14) for guiding the wheel (12), wherein the wheel guide (14) in turn comprises a wheel support unit (16) for supporting the wheel (12), which includes an electric drive motor (30) and/or a braking device, - Lines (34, 36) designed as electrical lines (36) and/or pneumatic lines and/or hydraulic lines and/or cooling lines (34), as well as - a mounting system (38) for mounting the lines (34, 36) on the wheel guide (14) with several mounting elements (40, 42, 44), characterized in that at least one kink protection element (50) is arranged on at least one of the mounting elements (40, 42, 44) to protect the corresponding line(s) (34, 36) from kinking.

Inventors

  • Martin Laumann

Assignees

  • Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20200423

Claims (10)

  1. Wheel module (10) for a motor vehicle, comprising: - a wheel (12), - a wheel guide (14) for guiding the wheel (12), wherein the wheel guide (14) in turn comprises a wheel carrier unit (16) for supporting the wheel (12), which has an electric drive motor (30) and/or a brake device, - lines (34, 36) which are designed as electrical lines (36) and/or pneumatic lines and/or hydraulic lines and/or cooling lines (34), and - a mounting system (38) for mounting the lines (34, 36) on the wheel guide (14) with several mounting elements (40, 42, 44), characterized in that at least one kink protection element (50) is arranged on at least one of the mounting elements (40, 42, 44) to protect the corresponding line(s) (34, 36) from kinking.
  2. Wheel module after Claim 1 , characterized in that the at least one kink protection element (50) has a support part (56) for supporting on the holding element (40, 42, 44) and at least one flexible guide part (58) for guiding the corresponding line (34, 36).
  3. Wheel module after Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the at least one kink protection element (50) or at least the at least one flexible guide part (58) of this kink protection element (50) is designed as a kink protection sleeve (64) circumferentially surrounding the corresponding line (34, 36) on the retaining element (40, 42, 44).
  4. Wheel module according to one of the Claims 1 until 3 , characterized in that the wheel guidance (14) further comprises - a wheel fork (20) supporting the wheel carrier unit (16), - a spring-damper unit (26) and - at least a part of a bearing unit (18) for mounting the wheel module (10) on a vehicle body of the motor vehicle.
  5. Wheel module after Claim 4 , characterized in that the retaining elements (40, 42, 44) hold the lines (34, 36) on the wheel guide (14) in such a way that at least one line loop (46, 48) is formed which enables the spring-damper unit (26) to spring over a predetermined spring travel and/or the wheel guide (14) and the wheel (12) to rotate over a predetermined steering angle range.
  6. Wheel module after Claim 4 or 5 , characterized in that a retaining element (42) is arranged on the wheel fork (20) and/or a retaining element (44) is arranged on the bearing unit (18) or on a part of the wheel fork (20) near the unit.
  7. Wheel module according to one of the Claims 4 until 6 , characterized in that the wheel guide (14) further comprises a rocker arm (22) between the wheel fork (20) and the wheel carrier unit (16), wherein the spring-damper unit (26) is pivotally connected between the wheel fork (20) and the rocker arm (22).
  8. Wheel module according to one of the Claims 1 until 7 , characterized in that the lines (34, 36) or at least part of the lines (34, 36) are connecting lines (34, 36) for the electric drive machine (30) and/or the braking device.
  9. Wheel module according to one of the Claims 1 until 8 , characterized in that the wheel guide (14) further comprises a steering actuator for adjusting the steering angle of the wheel (12) via the wheel fork (20).
  10. Motor vehicle, in particular self-driving motor vehicle, with one or more wheel modules (10) according to one of the Claims 1 until 8 .

Description

The invention relates to a wheel module for a motor vehicle, comprising (i) a wheel, (ii) a wheel guide for guiding the wheel, wherein this wheel guide in turn comprises a wheel support unit for mounting the wheel, which has an electric drive motor and/or a braking device, (iii) lines which are designed as electrical lines and/or pneumatic lines and/or hydraulic lines and/or cooling lines, and (iv) a mounting system for mounting the lines on the wheel guide with several mounting elements. The invention further relates to a motor vehicle with one or more such wheel modules. Integrating electric drive into individual wheels and combining individually driven and steerable wheels (wheel modules) opens up new possibilities for vehicle maneuverability in confined spaces. For example, even the smallest parking spaces can be accessed by parking perpendicular to the direction of travel. This is made possible by an electric steering actuator integrated into the wheel module, allowing a steering angle of up to 90° in either direction. In other words, such a wheel module enables very large steering angles, which can be used, for example, for parking. The combination of this extreme maneuverability with the electric drive makes such a wheel module particularly suitable for vehicles primarily used in urban traffic, including autonomous vehicles for city driving. An autonomous vehicle, or self-driving vehicle, is a motor vehicle that can drive, steer, and park without the intervention of a human driver (highly automated driving or autonomous driving). A special type of autonomous vehicle is the autonomous passenger transport vehicle, also known as a people mover or autonomous people mover. In this context, autonomous means that none of the passengers are controlling the vehicle; rather, the passenger transport vehicle is self-driving or automatically controlled. The passengers are therefore generally "only" passengers. A wheel module of the type mentioned at the beginning is, for example, from the printed publication DE 10 2018 117 376 A1 This publication discloses a wheel module for a motor vehicle, comprising (i) a wheel and (ii) a wheel guide for guiding the wheel, which in turn comprises (a) a wheel carrier unit for mounting the wheel, which includes an electric drive motor and/or a braking device, (b) a wheel fork supporting the wheel carrier unit, (c) a spring-damper unit, and (d) at least part of a bearing unit for mounting the wheel module on a vehicle body of the motor vehicle, wherein the wheel module further comprises (iii) electrical lines and (iv) a mounting system for mounting the lines on the wheel guide with several mounting elements. The publication also mentions motor vehicles with such wheel modules. In principle, extremely large steering angles and a substantial amount of suspension travel from the spring-damper unit can be achieved with such wheel modules. However, one limiting factor is not explicitly addressed in this document: the routing of the necessary lines, for example, for the electric drive motor and/or the braking system. These lines must be routed to the vehicle body without restricting the steering and/or suspension travel and without posing a safety risk. DE 10 2018 125 009 A1 The invention discloses a charging station for electric vehicles comprising a housing, a cable gland, at least one charging cable, and a cable holder. A ring-shaped or sleeve-shaped retaining element is provided on the charging cable, which is inserted into the cable holder to fix the cable to the charging station. The focus of the invention is on the mechanical guidance or retention of the charging cable by means of the retaining element attached to the cable. Further technical measures or functions beyond the specific design of the cable holder are not apparent from the information provided therein (Abstract/Claim 1). DE 10 2017 202 386 A1 The document discloses a conductor element for transmitting electric current, comprising at least one single conductor and a shield surrounding the single conductor over at least a certain length for electrical and/or magnetic shielding. Furthermore, a grommet, formed from an electrically conductive plastic and surrounding the shield over at least a certain length, is provided, which is electrically connected to the shield. The grommet has a receptacle in which at least a wall section of a housing can be received. The document thus deals specifically with the grommet formed from conductive plastic and electrically coupled to the shield for housing penetration. DE 1781850 U The diagram reveals a strain relief device for electrical plugs, in which a strain relief sleeve made of elastic material is arranged on the plug housing. At the free end of the The sleeve is a thin-walled, elastic end plate with a bore whose diameter is slightly smaller than the smallest cable diameter intended for the connector. This elastically clamps the inserted cable, thus reducing bending stress at the