Motor Vehicle Wheel Mounting Comprising A Binary Actuator For Adjusting The Angular Position of The Plane of A Wheel

• US 20100156057A1
• Filed: 05/16/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique SA (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA), Societe De Technologie Michelin (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA)
• Original Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique SA (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA), Societe De Technologie Michelin (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA)
• Inventors: Blondelet, Michel, Nicolas, Serge
• Granted Patent: US 8,419,022 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/5.520
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/46 camber angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/462 Toe-in/out
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/42 Electric actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/006 Attaching arms to sprung or unsprung part of vehicle, characterised by comprising attachment means controlled by an external actuator, e.g. a fluid or electrical motor B62D7/146 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 17/00 Means on vehicles for adjusting camber, castor, or toe-in

Abstract

A motor vehicle wheel set-up via a wheel holder is provided, which wheel holder is associated with the vehicle via at least one pivot in such a way that the plane of the wheel can exhibit first and second angular running positions. The set-up further has a binary actuator that has a fixed component and a moving component capable of translational movement with respect to the fixed component, moving component being secured to the wheel holder and the actuator comprising a device for the binary control of the moving member placing it in one of two stable states each allowing the wheel holder to be moved into an angular position corresponding to one angular position of the wheel plane.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. Wheel mounting of a motor vehicle by means of a wheel holder, said wheel holder being associated with said vehicle by means of at least one pivot in such a way that a plane of a wheel can have a first and a second angular rolling position, said mounting further comprising a binary actuator having a fixed member and a moving member in translation in relation to said fixed member, said moving member being secured to the wheel holder and said actuator comprising a device for the binary control of the moving member in two stable states each making possible the shifting of the wheel holder in an angular position corresponding to an angular position of the wheel plane.

15. Wheel mounting according to claim 14, wherein the actuator is installed on a suspension arm, and each of the fixed and moving members forming a portion of said arm.

16. Wheel mounting according to claim 14, wherein the rolling angular positions are selected from among a pinch angle, a camber angle and a combination of these two angles.

17. Wheel mounting according to claim 14, wherein the actuator comprises:

means for elastically constraining the translation of the moving member from a second of said states towards a first of said stable states;

a device for blocking said translation in the second stable state, and a thrust bearing defining the position of the moving member in the first stable state; and

a motor device for returning the moving member from said first stable state towards said second stable state.

18. Wheel mounting according to claim 17, wherein the first stable state corresponds to an angular position wherein at least the pinch angle is non-zero, and the second stable state corresponding to an angular position wherein at least the pinch angle is substantially zero.

19. Wheel mounting according to claim 17, wherein the actuator further comprises a thrust bearing defining a position of the moving member in the second stable state.

20. Wheel mounting according to claim 17, wherein the device for blocking comprises an electromagnet secured to one of the members, a rod of said electromagnet able to be shifted in order to be engaged and respectively disengaged in the members in order to block and respectively unblock the translation.

21. Wheel mounting according to claim 20, wherein the rod is mounted in elastic constraint in relation to the member secured to the electromagnet, in such a way as to release said rod in the event of deactivation of said electromagnet.

22. Wheel mounting according to claim 20, wherein the motor device comprises a gear motor shifting a screw whereon is mounted a nut, and said nut being stopped in rotation by a wedge and forming an engage thrust bearing of the rod.

23. Wheel mounting according to claim 20, wherein the motor device comprises a carriage carrying a set of two tapered ball thrust bearings which are connected together by a structure with piezoelectric deformation and, in parallel to the latter, a means of extension spring, said device further comprising an electromagnet for unblocking balls of the thrust bearings, and one of said thrust bearings comprising an engage penetration of the rod.

24. An adjustment method for the angular rolling position of a plane of a wheel of a mounting according to claim 14, said method comprising maintaining the plane of the wheel in a second angular position during the rolling of said wheel and, in the event of detection of at least one critical rolling parameter, activating the device for the control in such a way as to shift the wheel plane in a first angular position during a predetermined time period before return of said plane of the wheel to said second angular position.

25. The adjustment method according to claim 24, further comprising corresponding a critical rolling parameter to exceeding a threshold value for a rolling parameter of the vehicle, and selecting said parameter selected from among lateral acceleration, brake pressure, and rotating speed of a steering wheel.

26. The adjustment method according to claim 24, further comprising providing return time of the wheel plane in second angular position which is greater than a time for putting in first angular position.