A suspension and drive mechanism for a steerable wheel of a vehicle, comprising a wheel support assembly supporting the wheel having a rolling axis and a wheel width defined by inner and outer wheel edges. Front and rear upper control arms coupled between a chassis and the wheel support assembly, and front and rear lower control arms between the chassis and the wheel support assembly. The front and rear upper control arms being coupled to the wheel support assembly above the rolling axis and inboard of the wheel inner edge, and front and rear lower control arms being coupled to the wheel support assembly below the rolling axis and inboard of the wheel inner edge. The control arms are angled so as to establish a virtual steering pivot axis for the wheel support assembly, the virtual steering pivot axis extending transverse of the rolling axis and located within the width of the wheel. The virtual steering pivot axis location varies according to a steering angle of the wheel support assembly as controlled by the steering arm. An electric drive unit arranged within the wheel for driving thereof, and at least one of the virtual pivots that lie on said virtual steering pivot axis lies within the volume occupied by the electric drive unit during at least one point in the steering travel of said wheel.

A method is disclosed for protecting the components of a steer-by-wire steering system, where the steer-by-wire steering system comprises a self-locking spindle drive in which the spindle is displaced linearly by driving a positionally fixed spindle nut in rotation. As a function of the speed of the vehicle, the linear displacement of the spindle relative to the spindle nut is summed continuously with respect to time until a first threshold value has been reached. A control unit, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and a steer-by-wire system are also disclosed.

An embodiment independent corner module includes a knuckle unit positioned at an inward area of a wheel, an upper arm fastened between an upper end of the knuckle unit and a vehicle body, a lower arm fastened between a lower end of the knuckle unit and the vehicle body, a steering unit configured to input a steering angle to the knuckle unit by being rotated with respect to the lower arm, and a rack steering unit positioned under the steering unit and fastened to the knuckle unit, the rack steering unit being configured to apply a rotating force to the knuckle unit by varying a length thereof.

An embodiment independent corner module includes a knuckle unit positioned at an inward area of a wheel, an upper arm fastened between an upper end of the knuckle unit and a vehicle body, a lower arm fastened between a lower end of the knuckle unit and the vehicle body, a steering unit configured to input a steering angle to the knuckle unit by being rotated with respect to the lower arm, and a rack steering unit positioned under the steering unit and fastened to the knuckle unit, the rack steering unit being configured to apply a rotating force to the knuckle unit by varying a length thereof.

A fiber-reinforced plastic chassis may include a steering element, where the steering element comprises at least one reinforcement structure formed with continuous fibers, where the steering element comprises at least one stiffening structure formed with short and/or long fibers, where the at least one reinforcement structure is formed integrally with the at least one stiffening structure via a thermosetting matrix material, and where the steering element comprises a plurality of bearing receivers integrated in at least one of the at least one reinforcement structure and the at least one stiffening structure for receiving bearing elements.

An actuator for rear-axle steering system of a motor vehicle comprises a threaded spindle (2) which is surrounded by planets (21), each provided with a corresponding profiling (8), wherein the planets (21) are guided in a driven cage (13) and, via further profiling (25), contact a nut (4) that surrounds areas of the planets (21) provided with said profiling (8) and is supported with respect to the cage (13) by rolling bearings (14), and wherein the cage (13) is mounted in a housing (20) by means of further rolling bearings (30, 31, 32, 33) and is non-rotatably connected to an output-side component (12, 34) of a further transmission (10, 11, 12).

A vehicle comprising: a body; a pair of wheels each rotatable about a respective rolling axis and each wheel having a centre of mass; and a pair of suspension mechanisms, each wheel being attached to the body of the vehicle by a respective suspension mechanism, the suspension mechanism providing the respective wheel with freedom to move relative to the body of the vehicle in steer about a respective steer axis, the steer axis being offset from the centre of mass of the wheel so that when a different amount of torque is applied to each wheel about the rolling axis the difference in torque causes a steering torque on each wheel about the steer axis of the wheel.

A steering device configured to steer one wheel of a vehicle, including: a steering knuckle which constitutes a part of a suspension apparatus and which is allowed to move upward and downward relative to a body of the vehicle, the steering knuckle holding the wheel such that the wheel is rotatable; an actuator including an electric motor as a drive source and configured to rotate the steering knuckle in dependence on a force generated by the electric motor so as to steer the wheel; and a controller configured to control a supply current to the electric motor for achieving steering of the wheel corresponding to a steering operation by a driver, wherein, after turn-off of an ignition switch of the vehicle, the controller executes an end process for stopping the steering device from operating while gradually decreasing the supply current to the electric motor.

The present invention relates to a steering function-equipped hub unit (1) having a function of steering a rear wheel, the hub unit including: a hub unit body (2) having a hub bearing (15) configured to support the rear wheel (9R); a unit support member (3) rotatably supporting the hub unit body (2) about a turning axis (A) extending in a vertical direction, the unit support member being configured to be provided to a rear-wheel suspension (Rs); and a steering actuator (5) configured to rotate the hub unit body (2) about the turning axis (A).

Provided is a steering function-equipped hub unit for steering a rear wheel configured to be supported by a suspension device including a torsion beam and a pair of trailing arms. The hub unit includes: a turning shaft-equipped hub bearing including a turning shaft extending in a vertical direction and configured to rotatably support the rear wheel; a unit support member supporting the turning shaft-equipped hub bearing such that the turning shaft-equipped hub bearing is rotatable about a turning axis; and a steering actuator separate from the unit support member and configured to rotationally drive the turning shaft-equipped hub bearing. The steering actuator is attached to the suspension device at a position higher than a lowermost surface of the torsion beam and between a rotation support part of the suspension device and the turning shaft-equipped hub bearing.