KR-102961830-B1 - STEERING SYSTEM FOR IN-WHEEL DRIVING VEHICLE

Abstract

The present invention relates to a steering system for an in-wheel drive vehicle. A steering system for an in-wheel drive vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a driving unit mounted within a wheel of a vehicle to generate rotational force for driving said wheel, a damping unit to reduce shock entering through said wheel, and a steering unit equipped with a fork to rotatably support said wheel and a steering member to rotate said fork, wherein the steering member comprises a steering shaft connected to said fork, a first gear connected to said steering shaft to rotate said steering shaft along an axial direction, and a second gear meshing with said first gear to rotate said first gear, wherein said first gear and said second gear are arranged such that the rotational direction of said first gear is formed along the axial direction of said second gear.

Inventors

• 성준호

Assignees

• 에이치엘만도 주식회사

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20200812

Claims (7)

1. A steering module is provided, comprising a driving unit mounted within a wheel of a vehicle to generate rotational force for driving the wheel, a cushioning unit to reduce shock entering through the wheel, a fork to rotatably support the wheel, and a steering unit having a steering member to rotate the fork. The steering member comprises a steering shaft connected to the fork, a first gear connected to the steering shaft to rotate the steering shaft along the axial direction, and a second gear meshing with the first gear to rotate the first gear. The steering unit further includes a steering motor that provides rotational force through a rotation axis connected coaxially with the second gear to cause the second gear to rotate, and A steering system for an in-wheel drive vehicle in which the rotation axis of the steering motor is positioned perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering shaft so that the rotational direction of the first gear is positioned along the axial direction of the second gear.
2. In paragraph 1, A first gear surface is formed on the side of the first gear along the axial direction of the first gear, and A steering system for an in-wheel drive vehicle, wherein the second gear has a second gear surface formed thereon that meshes with the first gear surface while the second gear is positioned on the side of the first gear.
3. In paragraph 1, The steering system of an in-wheel drive vehicle further comprises a reduction member that reduces the rotational speed output through the second gear and transmits it to the steering shaft.
4. In paragraph 3, The steering shaft comprises a first shaft connected to the center of the first gear and a second shaft connected to the first shaft and rotating together with the first shaft when the first shaft rotates, A steering system for an in-wheel drive vehicle having a reduction member provided between the first shaft and the second shaft.
5. In paragraph 3, The above reduction member is disposed between the first gear and the second gear and meshes with each gear, and is a spur gear having a rotation axis parallel to the axis of the first gear, in a steering system of an in-wheel drive vehicle.
6. delete
7. In paragraph 1, The first gear is a worm wheel to which the steering shaft is connected and fixed, and A steering system for an in-wheel drive vehicle characterized in that the second gear is a worm that meshes with the worm wheel.

Description

Steering System for In-Wheel Driven Vehicle The present invention relates to a steering system for an in-wheel drive vehicle. An electric vehicle refers to an eco-friendly vehicle that emits no exhaust gases. It is essentially equipped with a high-voltage battery that supplies energy for driving, an inverter that converts direct current (DC) output from the high-voltage battery into alternating current (AC), and a driving motor that receives AC power from the inverter to generate rotational force and drive the vehicle. The rotational power of the motor is reduced by a reduction gear and then transmitted to the wheels via a drive shaft, enabling the electric vehicle to drive. Recently, in-wheel motor vehicles are gaining popularity, as they allow for the omission of intermediate power transmission devices such as reduction gears or differential gears, thereby reducing vehicle weight and minimizing energy loss during the power transmission process, by directly embedding the motor within the rim of the wheel to directly transmit the motor's power to the wheel. Conventional steering mechanisms are equipped with a steering shaft connected to a fork, which allows the fork on which the vehicle's wheel is mounted to rotate around a kingpin axis, and a face gear is mounted and fixed to this steering shaft. When the driver rotates the steering wheel to steer the vehicle, the driver's steering rotational force is transmitted through a connecting shaft and an input shaft. A pinion gear meshed with the face gear is installed on the input shaft and rotates due to the transmitted steering rotational force; as the pinion gear rotates, the face gear rotates, thereby changing the steering angle. However, in conventional steering mechanisms, when an external force is input to the vehicle's wheels while driving, this force is sequentially transmitted to the steering shaft and the face gear mounted and fixed thereon. Since the direction of transmission of the external force through the face gear is formed around the circumference of the pinion gear, the pinion gear is configured to rotate arbitrarily, thereby causing the steering angle to change arbitrarily regardless of the driver's steering intention, which posed a risk of traffic accidents. Of course, if the driver firmly grips the steering wheel, the steering angle can be maintained even when external forces are applied; however, this causes a sharp increase in driver fatigue, making comfortable and stable driving difficult. In addition, a separate steering assist motor can be installed to control the motor when an external force is input, thereby maintaining the steering angle. However, if a separate motor is provided in this way, separate power is required to drive the motor, and when the driver changes the steering angle, the steering angle is changed through this motor, which leads to problems such as reduced ride comfort due to response delay. Therefore, improvements to these issues are necessary. FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a steering system of an in-wheel drive vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the arrangement of a first gear and a second gear according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the path through which steering force is transmitted via a steering system of an in-wheel drive vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the path through which steering force is transmitted via a steering system of an in-wheel drive vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the steering angle is maintained even when an external force is input to the steering system of an in-wheel drive vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a steering system of an in-wheel drive vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the invention. The present invention may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In the drawings, parts unrelated to the explanation have been omitted to clearly explain the present invention, and the same reference numerals have been used throughout the specification for identical or similar components. In this specification, terms such as "comprising" or "having" are intended to specify the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof. Furthermore, when