BASE OF A SUPPORTING OR MEASURING DEVICE

Abstract

A base of a device for supporting a vehicle body component to be measured or for measuring such a component. The base can be moved in order to arrange the supporting or measuring device in a reference position, in particular on a floor on which the device sits in the reference position. The base preferably has a box-like design, including a top wall and a base wall which has a recess.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. A base plate of a device for holding a vehicle body component to be measured or for measuring such a component, wherein the base plate is configured to be displaceable for arrangement of the holding or measuring device in a reference position.

16. The base plate according to claim 15, wherein the base plate is configured to be placeable on a ground surface and rest on the ground surface in the reference position.

17. The base plate according to claim 15, further comprising wheels.

18. base plate according to claim 17, wherein the wheels include four wheels arranged correspondingly to corners of a rectangle.

19. The base plate according to claim 17, wherein the wheels are individually driven Mecanum wheels.

20. The base plate according to claim 17, wherein the wheels are extendable from the base plate in a direction of the ground surface so as to raise the base plate.

21. The base plate according to claim 20, further comprising electromechanical movement devices that extend the wheels from the base plate.

22. The base plate according to claim 21, wherein the wheels are connected in pairs to a tubular axle that accommodates wheel drives.

23. The base plate according to claim 22, wherein, in order to extend the wheels, the tubular axle is arranged to be movable perpendicularly with respect to a wheel axle by the movement device.

24. the base plate according to claim 20, wherein the tuber axle is movable perpendicular to a plane of the base plate.

25. The base plate according to claim 15, wherein the base plate is configured as a box with a top wall and a bottom wall.

26. The base plate according to claim 25, wherein the top wall has fastening bores for mounting of device parts.

27. The base plate according to claim 26, wherein the fastening bores are arranged in a grid.

28. The base plate according to claim 25, wherein the bottom wall has cutouts through which installation spaces for fittings are accessible.

29. The base plate according to claim 15, wherein the base plate has at least one bulge for accommodating a scanner that scans surroundings of the plate.

30. The base plate according to claim 29, wherein the at least one bulge includes bulges at plate corners lying diagonally opposite one another.

31. The base plate according to claim 15, wherein the base plate is configured to be remotely controlled in a wireless manner or configured so that a travel path is predefined by path markings or/and programming.

32. The base plate according to claim 31, further comprising a device for detecting path markings.

33. The base plate according to claim 32, wherein the device is a bar code reader.

Description

[0017] The invention will be explained further in the text which follows with reference to an exemplary embodiment and the accompanying drawings which relate to this exemplary embodiment and in which:

[0018] FIG. 1 shows a base plate according to the invention in a perspective view obliquely from above,

[0019] FIG. 2 shows the base plate of FIG. 1 in a plan view from below, and

[0020] FIG. 3 shows the base plate of FIG. 1 in a perspective view obliquely from below.

[0021] A base plate for the accommodation of parts of a holder for a vehicle body component to be measured is constructed in the manner of a box and has a top wall 1 and a bottom wall 2 connected to the top wall 1 via side walls.

[0022] The top wall 1 is provided with fastening bores 3, which are arranged in a grid, for the mounting of holder parts (not shown). Formed in the bottom wall 2 are cutouts 4, 5 and 6 through which spaces, which are formed between the top wall 1 and the bottom wall 2, for fittings are accessible.

[0023] In the installation spaces that are accessible through the cutouts 4 and 5, accommodated assemblies comprise in each case a pair of wheels 7 which are connected to a tubular axle 8 which is coaxial to the wheels 7. Separately actuatable drive motors (not shown) for each of the wheels 7 are located in the tubular axle 8.

[0024] The wheels 7 are so-called Mecanum wheels comprising a rim composed of rollers 9 that can each be rotated freely about an axis inclined by 45° with respect to the axis of rotation of the wheels 7.

[0025] The assemblies furthermore each comprise electromechanical movement devices 10, by means of which the tubular axles 8 with the Mecanum wheels 7 can be moved perpendicularly with respect to the tubular axle 8, and also perpendicularly with respect to the plane of the base plate, into a position in which the Mecanum wheels 7 project out of the cutouts 4, 5.

[0026] In the exemplary embodiment shown, two accumulators 11 and 12 and a control electronics assembly 13 are located in the installation space that is accessible through the cutout 6.

[0027] The control electronics assembly 13 comprises, in particular, devices for actuating the drive motors (not shown) which are assigned to the four Mecanum wheels 7. By being able to adjust the rotation speed and direction of rotation of the wheels 7 differently in accordance with the Mecanum wheel principle, it is possible to move and turn the base plate in any desired directions without any steering of the wheels 7.

[0028] As can be seen from the figures, the base plate has in each case a bulge 14 and 15, respectively, at corners lying diagonally opposite one another. Accommodated in the bulges 14, 15, between the top wall 1 and the bottom wall 2, is a respective scanner which is connected to the control electronics assembly 13 and which scans, through a slot in the relevant side wall of the base plate, a respective 270° area at about half the height of the base plate. The control electronics assembly 13 also receives signals from an optical scanning device 16 which detects bar code markings located on the ground.

[0029] A receiving device of the control electronics assembly 13 can also wirelessly receive control signals which are input manually into a remote control.

[0030] When using the base plate, holder parts are mounted, by screw connection to fastening bores 3, on the top wall 1 of said base plate correspondingly to a vehicle body component to be measured, possibly even a complete vehicle body, and the vehicle body component is connected to the holder parts.

[0031] In order to transport the thus formed arrangement for measurement of the vehicle body component from the mounting location to a measurement location for a measuring device, in particular an optical measuring device, the four wheels 7 are extended in pairs to some extent out of the apertures 5 with the aid of the respective movement device 10 so as to raise the base plate.

[0032] The then movable arrangement is moved toward the measurement location either manually by remote control or automatically by detection of the aforementioned bar code markings which denote a travel path, wherein the Mecanum wheels permit movements and turns in accordance with the travel path.

[0033] The arrangement can thus be positioned at the measurement location at least with a precision sufficient for optical measurements solely with the aid of the Mecanum wheels. In the measurement position, the wheels 7 are retracted again and the base plate rests stably on the ground, possibly via foot parts which protrude to a slight extent.

[0034] If the scanners accommodated in the corners 14, 15 detect an obstacle during the transport journey, the control electronics assembly 13 ensures that the arrangement comes to a standstill and collisions are avoided.

[0035] Instead of automatic control of the transport journey on the basis of the aforementioned bar code markings, it would be possible to program the journey on the basis of a detection of signals generated in the manner of GPS signals in the workshop in question.

[0036] In a deviation from the exemplary embodiment described above, in the case of large plate dimensions, it would be possible to provide further wheels, which can be extended through the cutout 6, and corresponding movement devices for the wheels. The further wheels, which do not require a drive, would provide a support function.