DEVICE FOR CHASSIS MEASUREMENT AND METHOD FOR CHASSIS MEASUREMENT

Abstract

An apparatus for chassis measurement for determining the alignment of the wheels of a motor vehicle. The apparatus includes a detachably fixed measurement head apparatus on the vehicle wheel to be measured, wherein the measurement markings are positioned parallel to the front and rear side of the vehicle or the vehicle stand level. After arranging the fastening apparatus and positioning the measurement markings, the laser light source is activated and a plane is projected in space, wherein the length of these laser light lines generates at least intersection points together with the measurement markings, the intersection points of which are detected as track gauge and used for computation in order to determine the fall, trailing and spread data and the virtual longitudinal travel axis of the vehicle. By a camera-assisted measurement value detection apparatus, different electromagnetic spectra for each wheel to be measured are detected and supplied for data processing.

Claims

1. A method for chassis measurement using a device for chassis measurement comprising a measuring head unit arranged on the vehicle wheel by a mounting unit comprising a laser light source for the generation of measuring points on measuring markings, wherein for preparing the measuring process, a mounting device detachably fixes the measuring head unit to the vehicle wheel to be measured, wherein either a wheel-contact body of the mounting unit detachably fixes the measuring head unit in a freely movable manner, but pressed against a first vehicle wheel by a support arm extending from a base, wherein the mounting unit with the base is freely placed on the vehicle floor plane beside the vehicle wheel, the measuring head unit with laser light source being, by a screw connection, arranged in a firmly defined orientation to the wheel-contact body, or a mounting unit of a magnetic design detachably fixes the measuring head unit, aligned at right angles to the vehicle floor plane and parallel to the wheel middle plane, directly to the wheel hub, wheel bolts and/or set-up wheel pressing it against a vehicle wheel, and the measuring markings are positioned, without exact alignment, parallel to the front and rear sides of the vehicle and/or in the middle of the vehicle or in front of and behind the vehicle wheel to be measured on the vehicle floor plane without a defined fixed and/or measured distance to the vehicle body, the wheels, the wheel axes and/or the vehicle axles, wherein the measuring markings have scales and/or numbers, letters, or colour coding that are aligned pointing upwards and/or towards the laser light source parallel to the vehicle floor plane on which they are lying, whereupon, after arrangement of the mounting unit on the vehicle wheel and positioning and alignment of the measuring markings, the laser light source is activated and a laser area is projected in the room that is arranged at right angles to the vehicle wheel middle plane and parallel to the wheel-contact body, and said laser area projects a laser light line on the driving plane beside the vehicle wheel, wherein the length of said projected laser light line simultaneously generates at least points of intersection with the measuring markings, these points of intersection being used as toe values or, with independent suspension, the individual toe values of all individual wheels of the vehicle being captured and used in calculation in order to determine the camber, castor and steering-swivel data and the virtual (geometric) longitudinal driving axis of the vehicle, wherein, for each axle of the chassis to be measured and/or each wheel of the vehicle to be measured, laser light of a different electromagnetic spectrum and/or of different frequency modulation is generated by the laser light source of the measuring head unit and is captured by a camera-based measuring value acquisition unit being automatically assigned by the latter according to the laser light of a defined electromagnetic spectrum to a wheel and/or and axle of the vehicle related to such spectrum and transmitted to a data processing unit.

2. A method for chassis measurement using a device for toe measurement according to claim 1, wherein in the chassis measurement, the same measuring unit comprising mounting unit and measuring head unit is successively used for all wheels for being successively arranged on all wheels of the vehicle and capturing the chassis measuring values, wherein the area formed by the laser light source allows for the optical reading of camber values on the measured wheel with the help of a protractor vertically placed on the vehicle floor plane and into the laser light.

3. A method for chassis measurement using a device for toe measurement according to claim 1, wherein a template for castor angle measurement is placed beside the wheel to be measured for reading the projected laser markings in defined steering positions of the wheel to be measured, wherein, in a first step, the template for castor angle measurement is adjusted with a first marking on the projected laser marking in the straight-ahead position of the vehicle wheel to be measured, to make then, based on a second and third marking of the template, one measurement each with a left- and a right-angle steering by the same number of degrees from the straight-ahead position of the vehicle wheel to be measured, as well as one measurement of the camber angle each on the inclination angle sensor with a left- and a right-angle steering by the same number of degrees of the wheel to be measured, this measurement being successively made on both vehicle wheels of an axle for determination of the castor angle by calculation on the basis of the captured measuring values.

4. A method for chassis measurement using a device for toe measurement according to claim 1, wherein rim run-out compensation is done by a second measurement, wherein, before the second measurement, the vehicle is rolled over the vehicle floor plane in such a way that the wheels rotate by 180° with a tolerance of +/−5° compared with the first measurement.

5. A method for chassis measurement according to claim 1, wherein after a first toe measurement, for a compensation of possible rim run-out deviations, the vehicle wheels are further rotated on ramp-like wheel supports by defined angles of rotation and are newly measured at each of these measuring positions, said rotation of the vehicle wheels at intervals being either made manually or by electro-motor drives on the wheel supports.

6. A method for chassis measurement using a device for toe measurement according to claim 1, wherein the toe values or, with independent suspension, the individual toe values of all individual wheels of the vehicle are captured and the exact positions of the wheels of the vehicle in relation to each other are determined this way without a physical relation used in the measurement or a reference to the vehicle body, the wheel axes and/or the vehicle axles, and these measuring values then are put into relation by calculation to the respective vehicle coordinate system that is firmly connected with the measured vehicle.

7. A method for chassis measurement according to claim 1, wherein to each axle, there is assigned a device for chassis measurement with a different laser light spectrum and the measurements on the two sides of one axle are made successively with the same device, wherein, by the identical laser light spectrum, the measurements on one axle are to be assigned to each other by the measuring value acquisition unit.

8. A method for chassis measurement according to claim 7, wherein in case of overlapping measurements and therefore overlapping laser light markings on the measuring markings, the laser light sources generate the laser light markings by interval switching synchronized alternating between the laser light sources, so that the measuring value acquisition units can clearly separately capture the measuring markings alternatingly generated at intervals.

9. A device for chassis measurement according to the method of the preceding claims, comprising at least an axle measuring head unit comprising at least a measuring head unit with a laser light source that is arranged on the vehicle wheel, the wheel hub, or the set-up wheel by a mounting unit, wherein the mounting unit for the measuring head unit either comprises a support arm extending from a base on which there is arranged a wheel-contact body carrying the measuring head unit for a freely leaned detachable fixing rigidly aligned by a gravity moment on the vehicle wheel, wherein the measuring head unit with laser light source is arranged by screw connection in a firmly defined orientation on the wheel-contact body by noses and/or recesses on the back of the measuring head unit and respectively corresponding noses and/or recesses on the wheel-contact body, or the mounting unit for the measuring head unit with laser light source aligns the latter by a magnet directly on the wheel hub, the wheel bolt, and/or the set-up wheel at right angles to the vehicle floor plane and parallel to the wheel centre line, wherein the device for chassis measurement comprises a laser light source that projects a laser marking as an area in the room which projects a laser light line at right angles to the vehicle wheel centre line and parallel to the wheel-contact body on the vehicle floor plane beside the vehicle, thereby generating laser light of different electromagnetic spectra for each axle of the vehicle to be measured and/or each wheel of the vehicle to be measured, and the device for chassis measurement comprises at least two measuring markings that are designed to readably display points of intersection with the projected laser markings in front of and behind the vehicle wheel to be measured, wherein the measuring markings have scales and/or numbers and/or letters or colour coding that are aligned parallel to the vehicle floor plane and lying on it, pointing upwards, and the device for chassis measurement comprises a camera-based measuring value acquisition unit for the automatic acquisition and assignment of the laser light markings of a defined electromagnetic spectrum to the measured wheel and/or the measured axle of the vehicle for further data processing of the measuring values.

10. A device for chassis measurement according to claim 9, wherein the support arm designed adjustable in length connects the wheel-contact body and the base with each other via a ball and socket joint or another at least single-axle joint so that these components always are connected with each other in a manner that is fixed, but aligning by the gravity moment so that they are designed to be optimally adjustable to the respective wheel dimension, wherein the wheel-contact body has three length-adjustable arms with support bodies by which it is freely leaning against the rim or the tyre wall of the vehicle wheel, wherein the support bodies are made of a material or designed with contact surfaces of a material or are coated with a material that is softer than the rim material so as to reduce scratching, and the base is of a design secured against unintended shifting on the driving plane by frictional forces determined by a defined own weight and/or an anti-slip coating on the standing area of the base.

11. A device for chassis measurement according to claim 9, wherein the device comprises an electronic inclination angle measuring instrument for camber measurement and a template for castor angle measurement, the template for castor angle measurement having at least markings for positioning the template by the projected laser marking in the straight-ahead position of the vehicle wheel to be measured as well as for reading a left-angle and right-angle steering of the vehicle wheel to be measured by the same number of degrees.

12. A device for chassis measurement according to claim 9, wherein the measuring marking is designed as measuring tape, adhesive tape, or a measuring stick of a single piece or of composable sections, a multiple folding rule, a telescopic measuring marking, or a foil-like coated surface.

13. A device for chassis measurement according to claim 9, wherein the mobile camera-based measuring value acquisition unit has a holding and adjustment unit for arranging it on the vehicle roof of the vehicle to be measured, on a lateral part of the vehicle, on the mounting unit or the measuring head unit arranged on it or on the vehicle floor plane itself.

14. A device for chassis measurement according to claim 9, wherein the device is designed as a compact kit comprising all components of the device, all components of the device being transportably accommodated in a mobile container approved as hand luggage in air traffic.

15. A device for chassis measurement according to claim 9, wherein the device comprises ramp-like wheel supports, in which pairs of rollers are rotatably borne.

16. A device for chassis measurement according to claim 15, wherein the ramp-like wheel supports have an electric motor and an electronic control unit for a defined operation of the rotatably borne pairs of rollers.

17. A device for chassis measurement according to claim 9, wherein the laser light source generates, by the laser line projected on the vehicle floor plane beside the vehicle wheel to be measured, simultaneously points of intersection with the front and rear measuring markings, that are at least twice as long as the wheel centre distance of the vehicle and at least 5 to 8 metres for passenger cars and 20 to 25 metres for trucks.

18. A device for chassis measurement according to claim 9, wherein the laser light sources are provided with an electronic control unit that, when using multiple simultaneously operated devices for chassis measurement with laser light of different electromagnetic spectra, generates the overlapping laser light markings by alternatingly synchronized interval switching so that the measuring markings alternately generated in the interval are emitted offset to each other in time.

Description

[0085] In the following, the invention is explained in more detail on the basis of drawings.

[0086] The figures show the following:

[0087] FIG. 1 shows the arrangement of the mounting unit on the vehicle wheel;

[0088] FIG. 2 shows the design of the wheel-contact bodies of the mounting unit;

[0089] FIG. 3 shows the arrangement of the laser projection on a wheel axis with a projected laser light line on 2 measuring markings;

[0090] FIG. 4 shows the schematic representation of a camera-aided measurement of all of the 4 wheels of a vehicle on 2 measuring markings;

[0091] FIG. 5 shows the wheel support according to the invention with a vehicle wheel placed on it and the schematic illustration of the possibility of 4 measuring points staggered by 90°; and

[0092] FIG. 6 shows a lateral view of the arrangement of the wheel-contact body with projection line of the laser light.

[0093] FIG. 1 illustrates how a wheel-contact body 10 is mounted on a vehicle wheel 1 via a support arm 11 extending from a base 9 to be freely arranged on the vehicle floor plane. In the lateral representation, it is clearly visible that, only by a gravity moment acting by the inclination of support arm 11 on the wheel-contact body 10, the wheel-contact body 10 is safely leaning against vehicle wheel 1. The force arrows shown on the right illustrate how the forces are respectively acting here.

[0094] FIG. 2 illustrates the arrangement of the length-adjustable arms 12 on the wheel-contact body 10 as well as the support bodies 6 extending from the arms 12, so that there is provided a wheel-contact body 10 adjustable to the respective vehicle wheel 1 or its rim, respectively. Together with the basic structure of the mounting unit 2, this supports the exactness and the hold of the measuring device on the vehicle wheel 1.

[0095] FIG. 3 is a simple first representation of the principle of the measurement. For simplification, the respective toe of four vehicle wheels (1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d) of a vehicle 21 is presented in a manner above average here. In front of and behind the vehicle 21, the measuring markings 4a and 4b are arranged more or less parallel to the front and rear sides of the vehicle, an exact alignment not being required. With this basic arrangement of the measuring markings, it is possible to determine the longitudinal vehicle middle plane with the laser projection 3′ from the points of intersection 5a and 5b resulting on the measuring markings 4a and 4b.

[0096] The presented design is a solution in which a measuring head unit with laser light source 3 forms a laser area projecting, on the roadway plane, the laser line 6′ indicated as a dashed line that intersects the measuring markings 4a and 4b in front of and behind the vehicle. For simplification, no scaling 13 is drawn on the measuring markings 4a and 4b.

[0097] The more elaborate solution with automated measurement can be seen in the following FIG. 4 in which a camera-like reading unit 14 is schematically presented centrally on the vehicle. Basically, other positions on or beside a vehicle are applicable for this purpose as well. From this camera-like reading unit, there extend, as indicated in a certain angle, the readings on the front and rear sides that can access the measuring markings 4 within a certain angle, in the exemplary representation smaller than 90°.

[0098] The measuring markings 4a and 4b, for example measuring rods 7a and 7b, are located in front of and behind the vehicle as in the preceding figure, wherein it is schematically indicated that, in the measurement of all wheels, different points of intersection, namely four points of intersection 5a, 9a, 5c and 9c on the front measuring marking 4a and another four points of intersection 5b, 9b, 5d and 9d on the rear measuring marking 4b, are generated by the laser projection and that all of said points of intersection on the measuring markings 4a and 4b can be simultaneously captured by the camera-like reading unit 14.

[0099] An especially advantageous inventive solution provides to make use of different laser light frequencies for being able to assign, in an automated manner, the points of intersection 5a and 5b to the respective vehicle wheel 1a, the points of intersection 9a and 9b to the respective vehicle wheel 1b, the points of intersection 5c and 5d to the respective vehicle wheel 1c, and the points of intersection 9c and 9d to the respective vehicle wheel 1d. This is graphically represented in such a way that the laser projections 3′ of differing laser frequency are shown by differently dashed lines 19 and the laser projections 3″ of differing laser frequency by differently dashed lines 20. The points of intersection of these differing laser light markings are represented by different forms of stars on the measuring markings 4a and 4b.

[0100] FIG. 4 illustrates by the arrangement of the points of intersection how the deviations relevant to toe measurement can be read. The points of intersection and their distances to one another are different on measuring markings 4a and 4b in front of and behind the vehicle, wherein the measurable line or distance deviations of these points of intersection can be used for the determination by calculation. Thus, the points of intersection with the measuring markings 4a and 4b can also be transmitted to an evaluation unit, for example on a unit for electronic data processing (e.g. computer, smartphone, or the like). Basically any computer is suitable for the respective data processing, such as PC, smartphones, tablets, and also future data processing units.

[0101] Thus, the points of intersection 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 9a, 9b, 9c and 9d with the measuring markings 4a and 4b can also be transmitted to an evaluation unit, for example on a unit for electronic data processing (e.g. computer, smartphone, or the like). Basically any computer is suitable for the respective data processing, such as PC, smartphones, tablets, and also future data processing units.

[0102] As an alternative, it can also be provided to perform the calculation of the toe position via a central data server application, which is why in such case the measuring data are transmitted e.g. by a smartphone to such central calculation database and, after calculation, they are transmitted back e.g. to the smartphone. Basically, there are various possible ways how and by what devices the actual computational calculation of the toe position on the basis of the measured data finally can be carried out.

[0103] The following FIG. 5 shows a wheel support 15 with a vehicle wheel 1 placed on it. Here, pairs of rollers 16 are visible on which a vehicle wheel 1 rests and is freely rotatable. 4 markings are shown on the vehicle wheel 1 to illustrate that for example 4 measurements respectively offset by 90° can be easily realized by the arrangement on the wheel support 15.

[0104] FIG. 6 finally shows a wheel-contact body 10 on the vehicle wheel 1 in a lateral view. It is visible here that the wheel-contact body 10 has a three-point support on the vehicle wheel 1, which is also technically of advantage to ensure a safe leaning of the wheel-contact body 10 against the vehicle wheel 1. Since a plane is always positively defined by at least 3 points, this optimized solution ensures that the wheel-contact body 10 always takes an orientation parallel to the wheel middle plane. With the help of a spirit level installed in the measuring head unit with laser light source (3), it is ensured that the upper two support bodies 6a and 6b always are on a line 18 parallel to the vehicle floor plane 22. By leaning against the metallic wheel rather than against the flexible tyre, elasticity-related measuring inaccuracies are eliminated in addition.

[0105] Finally, it shall be elucidated that it is the aim of the present invention to provide the user with a fully integrated solution (device & method) for chassis measurement which combines the advantages of known solutions and at the same time eliminates their disadvantages. The invention allows an extremely user-friendly chassis measurement on most different vehicle categories with wheels, such as e.g. passenger cars, trucks, agricultural machines, construction machines, commercial vehicles, trailers, aeroplanes, etc.

[0106] The invention addresses professional users from the fields of vehicle development, vehicle testing, vehicle maintenance, vehicle repair, vehicle distribution, vehicle rental, car-fleet attendance and professional motor sport. Beyond the above, the invention in particular also addresses private users from the fields of modern classic cars hobby, vintage cars hobby, vehicle restoration, vehicle modification (tuning), amateur motor sport and amateur sport aviation.