FR3146093A1 - A compact, eco-designed and ergonomic steering, damping, suspension, braking and ground connection system for efficient vehicles. - Google Patents

Abstract

Compact steering, damping, suspension, braking, and chassis system, eco-designed and ergonomic, for efficient vehicles. Technical field: Automotive steering and damping. Technical problem: Size, weight, and aerodynamic drag of the steering/dampening system. Technical solution: Verticalization of the steering/dampening system to reduce its size and weight and facilitate its integration to reduce the vehicle's aerodynamic drag. Main uses: Steering/dampening of light quadricycles, heavy quadricycles, cars, streamlined bicycles, etc. The system consists of a column, integral with the chassis, in which a shaft rotates to drive the arms. The system is connected to the steering linkage via a bracket to which a yoke is attached. The hub, brake, and shock absorber are attached to the bottom of the lower arm. The shock absorber is mounted at the top of the upper arm, forming a triangle. The axle is oriented toward the wheel's contact surface with the ground. Figure 4 for abstraction

Description

A compact, eco-designed and ergonomic steering, damping, suspension, braking and ground connection system for efficient vehicles.

Technical field: The present invention relates to a compact steering and damping system for an efficient rolling vehicle.

Background to the invention: Mobility solutions are evolving, and with them, in the interests of compactness and efficiency, steering and front-end solutions must also evolve.

State of the prior art: There are currently several families of solutions for steering and cushioning a rolling vehicle, from the handlebar fork of a scooter or bicycle and other 2 or 3 wheels, to the front steering axles of an airplane with a tricycle axle, including the steering of a quad or automobile, or even of public works or agricultural machinery.

In particular for automotive road solutions, they are often without regard to efficiency in aerodynamic flow, width requirements of vehicles and compactness under and around vehicles, fragility with respect to obstacles or danger to people involved in accidents, weight reduction, reduction in the number of parts and the quantity of material required to produce them.

• Les systèmes pour véhicules tricycles, quadricycles, qu’ils soient de sports ou routiers, couramment constitués de bras articulés transversaux souvent en triangle pour mieux reprendre les efforts, formant des parallélogrammes transversaux sous ou dans le véhicule et qui encombrent sensiblement la voie sous le véhicule.
• Un essieu articulé au bout de ces bras qui permet d’avoir une angulation pour la direction mais dont l’axe est toujours décalé par rapport à l’effort dû à la traînée au sol de la roue, générant des efforts dans la direction, nécessitant une barre d’accouplement ou barre antiroulis, (mais aussi souvent une barre stabilisatrice ou anti dévers), et provoquant un fort bras de levier au niveau de l’articulation des bras dans le châssis, qui doit être dimensionné en conséquence.
• Des bras auxquels s’ajoute un système de timonerie à hauteur de roue et un système d’amortissement, soit placé entre les bras (mais peu accessible), soit au-dessus du bras supérieur mais nécessitant une reprise haute de ce système d’amortissement, soit encore un mix des deux avec un amortisseur placé sur le bras du bas mais allant chercher un point haut diagonalement au dessus du bras haut.
• Les systèmes de suspension dit "Mac Pherson" très utilisés pour les tractions avant, ils utilisent dans le cas des tractions, le déport de la roue pour libérer de la place pour le moteur central avec également des cardans d'entraînement, ce qui impose de déplacer le point d'ancrage de la direction à l'arrière de la roue. Cette dernière est mobile et suspendue. Cette mobilité entraîne des contraintes de conception et de réalisation de la direction. Le tout entraînant (bien que réputé compact) une certaine complexité, fragilité, masse, et encombrement sous le véhicule.
• Dans le même ordre d'idée et pour les même types de véhicules, il existe des systèmes plus minimalistes et assez efficaces, d'essieux semi rigide tels que des solutions de suspension avec une barre de torsion transversale (mais nécessitant tout de même un amortisseur pour éviter l’effet rebond), avec au bout d’un bras les même systèmes d’essieux de direction à axe déportés et de timonerie.
• Les systèmes à lames ressort métalliques ou en bois, avec pivots de direction en bout ou centrale (inspiré des remorques et voitures à cheval).
• Les systèmes pendulaires de stabilité tel que sur des scooters ou motos à trois roues, où l’on a dédoublé la roue avant en deux roues, pour avoir une stabilité verticale à l'arrêt, et néanmoins du carrossage dans les virages.
• Pour de petits véhicules pendulaires tout terrains de loisirs avec quatre bras articulés permettant de s’adapter au relief en gardant la nacelle quasi horizontale, mais dont l’encombrement en longueur et en largeur est variable selon la configuration en virage et qui ne permet pas d’avoir le point d’aboutissement du pivot de direction proche du centre des pneumatiques.
• Dans d’autres domaines on trouve des engins enjambeurs pour la viticulture par exemple, qui ont des mono-bras de direction hydraulique, assez compact, qui permettent de dégager le passage, mais dont l’axe de rotation est également déporté par rapport à la roue, et qui sont massifs et lourds.
• Dans l’aviation des solutions mono-bras suspendus avec compas articulés, souvent rétractables, nécessitant des ferrures plus complexes, car ces trains sont souvent sujet au guidonnage à haute vitesse et nécessitent souvent un anti-shimmy pour l’éviter. Ils ne sont pas fait pour rouler longtemps sur des routes.
• Face à ces solutions avec plusieurs roues de directions, il faut décrire aussi une fourche classique de moto avec son guidon, sa colonne de direction, son Té de direction, ses deux bras amortisseurs, son angle de chasse pour la stabilité au roulage, la fixation de l’axe de roue et du (ou des) freins avant ; permettant d’avoir une solution compact en largeur mais peu en hauteur, et qui du fait des deux bras de part et d’autre de la roue, rendent difficile la réparation ou le changement de celle ci. Et une géométrie qui a l’avantage d’avoir donc un axe de direction (point d’aboutissement de la colonne) non déporté, mais dirigé vers l’axe longitudinal de la roue. En effet l’axe de rotation de la direction quasi à l'aplomb avec un angle de chasse suffisant donne de la stabilité. Mais ces systèmes à deux bras ne facilite pas la réparation des pneumatiques ou le changement de roue.
• Souvent sur des scooters, il existe des variantes avec les “mêmes” fourches toute aussi hautes, mais avec les deux bras amortisseurs d’un seul côté de la roue, pour libérer l'accès à celle-ci.
• Des fourches mono bras avec des cinématiques plus ou moins complexes, utilisées pour différents types de véhicules avec carrossage (motos, scooters, vélo, ou encore rover, jouets ou robots) comme par exemple des fourches inversées, et des parallélogrammes articulés au-dessus de la roue, devant le guidon pour l’amortissement.
• En matière d’amortissement compact et longitudinal on peut aussi présenter les prothèses de mollet et de pied pour les sportifs handicapés, métalliques ou composites, articulés ou non. Elles ne sont pas adaptés au roulage d’un véhicule mais rejoignent assez bien notre invention routière.

The state of the prior art can be described by the following devices:

• Systems for tricycles, quadricycles, whether sports or road vehicles, commonly made up of transverse articulated arms often in a triangle to better absorb the forces, forming transverse parallelograms under or in the vehicle and which significantly obstruct the track under the vehicle.
• An axle articulated at the end of these arms which allows for an angulation for the steering but whose axis is always offset in relation to the effort due to the drag on the ground of the wheel, generating efforts in the steering, requiring a coupling bar or anti-roll bar, (but also often a stabilizer or anti-roll bar), and causing a strong lever arm at the level of the articulation of the arms in the chassis, which must be sized accordingly.
• Arms to which is added a linkage system at wheel height and a damping system, either placed between the arms (but not very accessible), or above the upper arm but requiring a high recovery of this damping system, or even a mix of the two with a shock absorber placed on the lower arm but seeking a high point diagonally above the upper arm.
• The so-called "Mac Pherson" suspension systems are widely used for front-wheel drive vehicles. In the case of front-wheel drive vehicles, they use the offset of the wheel to free up space for the central engine, as well as drive universal joints, which requires moving the steering anchor point to the rear of the wheel. The latter is mobile and suspended. This mobility leads to design and construction constraints for the steering. All of this leads (although reputed to be compact) to a certain complexity, fragility, mass, and bulk under the vehicle.
• Along the same lines and for the same types of vehicles, there are more minimalist and fairly efficient systems of semi-rigid axles such as suspension solutions with a transverse torsion bar (but still requiring a shock absorber to avoid the rebound effect), with at the end of an arm the same systems of steering axles with offset axes and linkage.
• Metal or wooden leaf spring systems, with end or central steering pivots (inspired by trailers and horse-drawn carriages).
• Pendulum stability systems such as on three-wheeled scooters or motorcycles, where the front wheel has been split into two wheels, to have vertical stability when stationary, and nevertheless camber when cornering.
• For small all-terrain leisure pendulum vehicles with four articulated arms allowing them to adapt to the terrain while keeping the nacelle almost horizontal, but whose length and width dimensions vary depending on the cornering configuration and which do not allow the end point of the steering pivot to be close to the centre of the tyres.
• In other areas, we find straddle carriers for viticulture, for example, which have single-arm hydraulic steering, quite compact, which allow the passage to be cleared, but whose axis of rotation is also offset in relation to the wheel, and which are massive and heavy.
• In aviation, single-arm suspended solutions with articulated compasses, often retractable, require more complex fittings, because these landing gears are often subject to high-speed shimmy and often require an anti-shimmy to avoid it. They are not made to run for long periods on roads.
• Faced with these solutions with several steering wheels, it is also necessary to describe a classic motorcycle fork with its handlebars, its steering column, its steering crown, its two shock absorber arms, its caster angle for rolling stability, the fixing of the wheel axle and the front brake(s); allowing to have a compact solution in width but not very high, and which due to the two arms on either side of the wheel, makes it difficult to repair or change it. And a geometry which has the advantage of therefore having a steering axis (end point of the column) not offset, but directed towards the longitudinal axis of the wheel. Indeed the axis of rotation of the steering almost vertically with a sufficient caster angle provides stability. But these two-arm systems do not facilitate tire repairs or wheel changes.
• Often on scooters there are variants with the “same” forks just as high, but with the two shock absorber arms on one side of the wheel, to free up access to it.
• Single-arm forks with more or less complex kinematics, used for different types of vehicles with camber (motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, or even rovers, toys or robots) such as inverted forks, and parallelograms articulated above the wheel, in front of the handlebars for shock absorption.
• In terms of compact and longitudinal shock absorption, we can also present calf and foot prostheses for disabled athletes, metallic or composite, articulated or not. They are not suitable for driving a vehicle but are quite similar to our road invention.

• lier la roue au châssis
• diriger
• amortir
• freiner

In summary: even if through experience all these existing solutions are proven and respond well to the four main functions which are:

• link the wheel to the chassis
• direct
• cushion
• brake

• Soit d’être sur une orientation transversale (solutions “automobiles” à roues avec un profil “carré”), empiétant sur le passage sous le véhicule, augmentant la surface frontale, abaissant le Cx et donc pénalisant l’écoulement aérodynamique.
  • Elles nécessitent d’externaliser les roues directrices hors de l'habitacle. Ce qui oblige à faire un véhicule plus large ou avec de grande cave à roues, pour que les roues aient leur amplitude de débattement et angulation.
  • Elles placent le bas de caisse et l’habitacle proche des axes de rotation donc du sol, ce qui est d’autant plus pénalisant à la fois aérodynamiquement (vélo-mobile couché caréné, voiture de sport), les sièges se retrouvent alors également près du sol, pénalisent la visibilité dans la circulation, mais aussi ce qui rend difficile l'accès et la sortie des véhicules pour tous, mais plus particulièrement pour les personnes à mobilité réduites.
• Soit quand elles sont plus longitudinales (solutions “deux roues” avec roues avec profil “rond”), elles n’existent que pour des véhicules avec carrossage (qui s’inclinent) ou dans d’autres secteurs comme l’aviation ou le matériel agricole.

The problems identified in these current steering, suspension, damping and ground connection solutions for land vehicles are:

• Either to be on a transverse orientation (“automobile” solutions with wheels with a “square” profile), encroaching on the passage under the vehicle, increasing the frontal surface, lowering the Cx and therefore penalizing the aerodynamic flow.
  • They require the steering wheels to be externalized outside the passenger compartment. This requires making a wider vehicle or one with a large wheel well, so that the wheels have their range of travel and angulation.
  • They place the underbody and the passenger compartment close to the axes of rotation and therefore to the ground, which is even more penalizing both aerodynamically (fairing recumbent bicycle, sports car), the seats are then also close to the ground, penalizing visibility in traffic, but also making it difficult for everyone to get in and out of vehicles, but particularly for people with reduced mobility.
• Either when they are more longitudinal (“two-wheel” solutions with wheels with a “round” profile), they only exist for vehicles with camber (which tilt) or in other sectors such as aviation or agricultural equipment.

Now we want to make a steering system that allows us to have a compact, narrow vehicle, ergonomically accessible to all (which raises the seat height), and that allows us to improve the flow, reduce the risk of injury to third parties on the road and reduce the number of parts (for easy assembly and maintenance).

Disclosure of the invention: The invention is a steering system that allows for a compact vehicle, which although aerodynamic, raises the seat height to be ergonomically accessible to all, and which improves the flow under the vehicle and reduces the risk of injury to third parties on the road. It also allows manufacturing to reduce the number of parts, reduce mass and fragility and thus facilitate maintenance.

Inspired by the qualities of the existing systems described in the state of the art above, the inspiration is also biomorphic: the arms (or legs) with their elbows (or knees), and a wheel held firmly in each hand (or under each foot), with the muscles as shock absorbers. All in a quasi-alignment of the body.

For an efficient 3 or 4 wheel vehicle, it is necessary to have a steering system that is more integrated into the available volumes without increasing them and therefore rather in the longitudinal direction than in the transverse direction. This makes it possible to control the width of the vehicle in order to reduce the footprint per vehicle and the congestion of urban space.

In this concern for compactness in width, aerodynamic efficiency and ergonomic accessibility, this patent describes a more compact steering/damping system, oriented longitudinally, and allowing for an aerodynamic passenger compartment, nevertheless easily accessible even by people with reduced mobility.

The system is composed of a column (3) in which an axle (11) rotates, thanks to two bearings (10). This column (3) is integral with the chassis (0) and possibly adjustable. The system is connected to the steering linkage thanks to the bracket (9) on which a yoke is fixed. The axle (11) drives the arm (2) and the arm (5) via the articulation (4). The hub (7) and the brake (8) and the shock absorber (6) are fixed at the bottom of the arm (5). The shock absorber (6) is taken up at the top of the arm (2), forming a triangle with the two arms. The axle (11) is oriented towards the contact surface of the wheel (1) on the ground.

• réduire l’emprise sous le véhicule et la surface frontale du véhicule et ainsi de réduire sensiblement la traînée aérodynamique coté intrados du véhicule (le dessous), grâce à une grande zone d’écoulement libre (13), permettant un bon S.Cx, et d’un point de vue sécuritaire de permettre aux obstacles ou usagers tiers de passer dessous sans encombre
• d’assurer de façon efficace et compact les différentes fonctions de
  • direction (2) avec une rotation possible supérieure ou égale à 45°
  • suspension/amortissement (6) avec une angulation possible et suffisante de la jambe du bas (5)
  • freinage (8)
  • tenue du moyeu de roue (l’axe de roue) (7) et/ou fixation d’un moteur-roue.

This compact steering system connects the wheel (1) to the chassis (0) by being mainly oriented in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and not transversely. This allows:

• reduce the footprint under the vehicle and the frontal surface of the vehicle and thus significantly reduce the aerodynamic drag on the intrados side of the vehicle (the underside), thanks to a large free flow area (13), allowing good S.Cx, and from a safety point of view to allow obstacles or third-party users to pass underneath without hindrance
• to efficiently and compactly ensure the various functions of
  • direction (2) with a possible rotation greater than or equal to 45°
  • suspension/damping (6) with possible and sufficient angulation of the lower leg (5)
  • braking (8)
  • holding the wheel hub (wheel axle) (7) and/or fixing a wheel motor.

In this system, the steering column (3) (possibly adjustable) orients the steering axis (11) in the contact surface of the wheel (1) on the ground, close to its median axis and very slightly in front of its barycenter, to ensure stability and limit the efforts to the steering. The variation of the damping travel changes the caster distance little, and when braking increases it, guaranteeing increased stability. The oblique orientation of the steering axis (11), instead of being directly above the wheel in its passage (as in an airplane or a scooter), allows here to clear the wheel passage. And also to easily access it to repair or change it, by holding the wheel fixed only on one side (the inner side). Depending on the orientation given to the system (forward or backward), you can choose to obtain either a diving effect in one direction or an anti-diving effect in the other, which will be more or less strong depending on the stiffness of the suspension, thus allowing you to play on stability, road holding and uses.

By the height given to the chassis platform (0), this invention responds to the desire to place the occupants at a seat height that is easy to access ergonomically. This seat height is reassuring and safe with good visibility of the road environment in traffic, while accommodating these occupants in an efficient aerodynamic profile. The doors and seats of the vehicle above the wheels are ergonomically more accessible than in profiled vehicles recognized as efficient (bicycles, sports cars) whose platforms are often at “mid-height of the wheels”

This system, more compact and with fewer parts than the existing automobile, uses the fact of articulating (or folding) this front arm. It allows the wheel to have a suspension and to be able to increase its travel. All this without varying the caster distance too much in order to maintain stability, good road holding and driving comfort.

This system is made either with a simple welded mechanical assembly of the arms on a joint and with a shock absorber/suspension between the two, or replaced by a composite part, possibly with a shock absorber to avoid the rebound effect.

Overall its simplifying design allows to reduce the number of parts and the mass for such a system, and that to do this several manufacturing methods, processes and materials are possible to obtain a comparable result, either with metals or with composite materials. In the case of a composite material, the median articulation (4) is replaced by the elasticity of the single composite part (replacing 2,4,5), to have the shock absorber travel.

This system can allow for wheel fairing to increase the efficiency of the vehicle, without affecting its operation.

A variation is to replace the hub (7) and wheel (1) with a wheel motor fixed to this same compact steering system. Finally, this system can also be used at the rear of the vehicle to standardize the parts and possibly have front and rear steering.

represents in top view the small lateral and longitudinal footprint of this device and the possible angular movement.

shows a side view of the arrangement of the parts of this device. The wheel (1) is held by the hub (7), itself fixed on the lower arm (5). The lower arm (5) is linked by the articulation (4) on the upper arm (2). This device guided in the column (3) and controlled by the steering brackets (9) allows for a large clearance under the vehicle and an aerodynamic vehicle cell (12), which is not at ground level, while having better access for everyone.

shows in front view how, thanks to the orientation of the steering axis (11) towards the axial contact zone of the wheel (1), no lever effect is created due to the distance between this point and the ground drag of the wheel (1). The significant travel for the damping of the wheel (1) relative to the chassis (0) is due to the fact that the steering column (3) is not located directly above the wheel (1).

This space not occupied by mechanical or body components allows us to obtain a ground clearance that gives us a good clearance height under the vehicle. This large free flow area (13) allows a good SCx, and allows obstacles or third-party users to pass under the vehicle without hindrance.

| ] represents the column (10) guiding the steering / damping (6) / braking (8) / hub (7) and wheel (1) holding device, with a steering bracket (9) which can be either above the chassis (0) or under the bearing (10)

represents that the front wheels can be faired, and that this device, simply articulated by an axle in its basic version, can also contain a spring part or be designed to use the elasticity of a single blade in technical composite materials.

Detailed description of an embodiment: The different parts of the invention can be made either of composites or of metal. They can be made by machining and turning for the axles and arm head, using for example existing profiles, then by a welded mechanical assembly process for the arms, and their joints. They can also be made by 3D printing solutions in sintering, then assembly with the axles turned in the same way, or by molding with steel parts, or aluminum or other light alloys (tungsten, magnesium) or finally by molding a composite part, avoiding creating the median joint. This composite part is sized to provide an elastic suspension effect, which does not exclude the use of a shock absorber to prevent rebounds. nor the use of bolting to fix the steering axle at the top, the axle and the brake at the bottom. which are not necessarily integrated into the mold to be able to remain easily removable and maintainable.

Invention susceptible to industrial application: This compact and lightweight steering system for rolling vehicles such as quadricycles and tricycles can be produced economically in series. It is of interest and is aimed in particular at intermediate vehicles (between bicycles and cars) and alternatives to cars, seeking a solution to reduce the frontal area, drag, mass, cost, while allowing new ergonomics in the use of aerodynamic vehicles. Not very complex and not very fragile, this device is also not afraid of immersion.

Claims (9)

A compact steering system, characterized in that the system connecting the wheels (1) to the chassis (0) is oriented in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and not transversely, in order to reduce the footprint under the vehicle and the frontal surface of the vehicle and thus to reduce the aerodynamic drag on the intrados side of the vehicle (the underside), thanks to a large free flow area (13) allowing good S.Cx, and from a safety point of view to allow obstacles or third-party users to pass underneath without hindrance; while ensuring in an efficient and compact manner the steering functions with a possible rotation greater than or equal to 45°, suspension / damping (6) with a possible and sufficient angulation of the lower leg (5), braking (8) and holding of the wheel hub (the wheel axle) (7) and / or a wheel motor. A compact steering system, according to claim 1, characterized in that the column (3) (possibly adjustable) orients the steering axis (11) towards the contact surface of the wheel (1) on the ground, close to its median axis and very slightly in front of its barycenter, to ensure stability and limit the steering forces. The oblique orientation of the steering axis (11), instead of being directly above the wheel, makes it possible to clear the wheel arch. A compact steering system, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the variation of the damping travel changes the caster distance little, and increases it during braking, guaranteeing increased stability. A compact steering system, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the height given to the chassis platform (0) by this system places the doors and seats of the vehicle above the wheel diameter. A compact steering system, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that depending on the orientation given to the system towards the front or the rear, it is possible to choose to obtain when braking either a diving effect in one direction or an anti-diving effect in the other, which is more or less strong depending on the stiffness of the suspension, making it possible to influence stability, road holding and uses. A compact steering system, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that its design reduces the number of parts and the mass for such a system, and that to do this several manufacturing methods, processes and materials are possible. A compact steering system, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that it can also be used with a wheel fairing. A compact steering system, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that a wheel motor can be fixed on this same compact steering system in place of the hub (7) and the conventional wheel (1). A compact steering system, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that this system can also be mounted at the rear of the vehicle.