METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STEERING A DOUBLE-PIVOT STEERING SYSTEM OF A MOTOR VEHICLE

• US 20120235373A1
• Filed: 03/15/2012
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hintzen, Ralf, Gerhards, Thomas, Wolf-Monheim, Friedrich Peter, Zandbergen, Paul
• Application Number:
  US13/421,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20120235373A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/93.506
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 7/09 characterised by means varying the ratio between the steering angles of the steered wheels varying the ratio automatically depending on driving conditions B62D6/00

Abstract

A method and apparatus for steering wheels of at least one vehicle axle with a double-pivot steering system having a load adjusting device associated with the wheels and using the load adjusting device to modify a contact force of a wheel on the vehicle axle, during cornering, to adopt an angle of steering lock for a wheel on an outside bend that is larger than an angle of steering lock for a wheel on an inside bend.

Claims

1. An apparatus for steering wheels of at least one vehicle axle with a double-pivot steering system, comprising:

a load adjusting device associated with the wheels; and

a contact force of a wheel on the vehicle axle being modified during cornering by the load adjusting device to adopt an angle of steering lock for a wheel on an outside bend that is larger than an angle of steering lock for a wheel on an inside bend.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the angle of steering lock of the wheel on the outside bend is larger than an angle specified by an Ackermann condition.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

the contact force of the wheel on the outside of the bend being increased during cornering; and

a contact force of the wheel on the inside of the bend being decreased during cornering.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the contact force is adjusted when cornering at or below a predetermined vehicle speed.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the load adjusting device is an active stabilizer.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the load adjusting device is a level control device.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the load adjusting device is a device for adjusting a spring constant of a wheel.

8. A method for controlling a contact force of at least one wheel of at least one vehicle axle steerable using a double-pivot steering system, comprising:

a load adjusting device modifying a contact force of the at least one wheel relative to other wheels during cornering to adopt a steering lock angle for a wheel on an outside bend that is larger than a steering lock angle for a wheel on an inside bend.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the step of modifying a contact force of the at least one wheel further comprises modifying the contact force of the at least one wheel to adopt a steering lock angle that is larger than an angle defined by an Ackermann condition.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the step of modifying a contact force further comprises:

reducing a contact force of a wheel on the outside bend; and

increasing a contact force of a wheel on the inside bend.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the step of modifying a contact force further comprises modifying the contact force when the vehicle is cornering at or below a predetermined vehicle speed.

12. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the load adjusting device is an active stabilizer and the step of modifying a contact force further comprises adjusting the active stabilizer to modify the contact force of the at least one wheel.

13. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the load adjusting device is a level control device and the step of modifying a contact force further comprises adjusting the level control device associated with the at least one wheel.

14. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the load adjusting device is a spring system and the step of modifying a contact force further comprises adjusting a spring constant of the spring system associated with the at least one wheel.

15. A double-pivot steering system of a vehicle comprising:

at least one vehicle axle having a wheel on an outside bend and a wheel on an inside bend;

a load adjusting device associated with the wheels of the at least one vehicle axle; and

a contact force of a wheel being modified during cornering by the load adjusting device to adopt an angle of steering lock associated with a wheel on the outside bend that is larger than an angle of steering lock associated with the wheel on the inside bend.

16. The system as claimed in claim 15 wherein the angle of steering lock of the wheel on the outside bend is larger than an angle specified by an Ackermann condition.

17. The system as claimed in claim 15 further comprising:

the contact force of the wheel on the outside of the bend being increased; and

a contact force of the wheel on the inside of the bend being decreased.

18. The system as claimed in claim 15 wherein the contact force is adjusted when cornering at or below a predetermined vehicle speed.

19. The system as claimed in claim 15 wherein the load adjusting device is an active stabilizer.

20. The system as claimed in claim 15 wherein the load adjusting device is a level control device.

21. The system as claimed in claim 15 wherein the load adjusting device is a device for adjusting a spring constant of a wheel.