Device to check a conformity of a mechanical part of a vehicle

Abstract

An installation intended to enable a conformity check of a mechanical part of a vehicle, including at least one magnetizing device, and at least one device for spraying a revealing product, wherein the installation also includes at least one device for generating at least one image by means of at least one image capture apparatus and at least one device for transmitting the at least one image on an analysis unit.

Claims

1. An installation intended to enable a conformity check of a mechanical part of a vehicle, comprising: at least one magnetizing device, at least one device for spraying a revealing product, at least one device for generating at least one image by means of at least one image capture apparatus, and at least one device for transmitting the at least one image towards an analysis unit, wherein the mechanical part is a rack of a steering system of the vehicle, wherein the device for generating at least one image comprises at least one first image capture apparatus positioned parallel with respect to an axis of elongation of the rack to image the rack in a direction perpendicular to the axis of elongation of the rack, and at least one second image capture apparatus positioned so as to image the rack in a direction not perpendicular to the axis of elongation of the rack, and wherein the at least one second image capture apparatus comprises at least two image capture apparatuses, each positioned so as to image the rack in a direction not perpendicular to the axis of elongation of the rack and in directions at symmetrical angles with respect to an axis transverse to the axis of elongation of the rack.

2. The installation according to claim 1, wherein the device for generating at least one image comprises a system for moving the mechanical part.

3. The installation according to claim 2, wherein the system for moving the mechanical part comprises a system for rotating the mechanical part.

4. The installation according to claim 1, wherein the device for generating at least one image comprises a system for moving the at least one image capture apparatus.

5. The installation according to claim 4, wherein the system for moving the at least one image capture apparatus comprises a system for driving the at least one image capture apparatus in translation.

6. The installation according to claim 1, comprising a device for drying the revealing product.

7. A method for checking the conformity of a mechanical part of a vehicle, implementing an installation according to claim 1, comprising: depositing the mechanical part over a conveyor; magnetizing the mechanical part by means of the magnetizing device; spraying the revealing product over the mechanical part by means of the spray device; demagnetizing the mechanical part by means of the demagnetizing device; wherein the method also comprises: capturing an image of the mechanical part by means of the device for generating at least one image, the image capturing step generating at least one image of the mechanical part; transmitting the at least one image of the mechanical part on an analysis unit by means of the transmission device; and using the analysis unit to determine a conformity of the mechanical part.

Description

(1) The invention will be better understood, thanks to the description hereinafter, which relates to an embodiment according to the present invention, provided as a non-limiting example and explained with reference to the appended schematic drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a view according to a first angle of an installation according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a view according to a second angle of the installation of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a device for generating at least one image;

(5) FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a method according to the invention;

(6) FIG. 5 is a color image of a toothing of a rack taken during an image capturing step according to the invention;

(7) FIG. 6 is a black and white image of a portion of a developed pattern of a body of a rack.

(8) FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an installation 1 according to the invention. The installation 1 comprises a conveyor 2 provided with two conveyor belts 21. Said conveyor 2 comprises «V»-like shaped supports intended to receive a rack 10 for a steering system of a vehicle. The rack 10 is intended to be positioned transversely on the conveyor belts 21. One conveyor belt 21 is movable relative to the other one. Thus, a spacing between the two conveyor belts 21 is adjusted according to a length of said rack 10.

(9) The installation 1 comprises a magnetizing device 3. The magnetizing device 3 diffuses a current in the rack 10 so as to magnetize it.

(10) The installation 1 comprises a device 4 for spraying a revealing product. The revealing product is a product that is fluorescent under an ultraviolet light. The revealing product comprises an aqueous base.

(11) The installation 1 comprises a device 5 for drying the revealing product. The drying device 5 induces a current in the rack 10 so as to increase its temperature and thus dry the revealing product.

(12) The installation 1 also comprises a device for generating at least one image 6. FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of the device for generating at least one image 6.

(13) Said device for generating at least one image 6 comprises 4 first image capture apparatuses 61 positioned parallel with respect to the axis of elongation of the rack 10. The first image capture apparatuses 61 consist of photographic cameras. The first image capture apparatuses 61 are fixed with respect to the installation 1, more specifically, they are fastened on a support 63 extending along the axis of elongation of the rack 10. The first image capture apparatuses 61 are image capture apparatuses which may consist of so-called linear or matrix type image capture apparatuses. Each of the first image capture apparatuses 61 take a 40° image, which can be configured from 20° to 120°. The first image capture apparatuses 61 take black and white or color images. The first image capture apparatuses 61 operate under an ultraviolet light emitted by an ultraviolet lamp 7.

(14) Said device for generating at least one image 6 also comprises 2 second image capture apparatuses 62 positioned so as to form an angle smaller than 90° with respect to the axis of elongation of the rack 10. The 2 second image capture apparatuses 62 are photographic cameras. The 2 second image capture apparatuses 62 are positioned symmetrically with respect to the axis transverse to the axis of elongation of the rack 10. The second image capture apparatuses 62 are fastened on a system for moving the 2 second image capture apparatuses 62, and more specifically on a system 64 for driving the 2 second image capture apparatuses 62 in translation according to the direction of elongation of the rack 10. The second image capture apparatuses 62 are so-called matrix type image capture apparatuses. The second image capture apparatuses 62 take black and white or color images. The second image capture apparatuses 62 operate under an ultraviolet light emitted by the ultraviolet lamp 7.

(15) Said device for generating at least one image 6 further comprises a system for moving the rack 10. The system for moving the rack 10 comprises a system 65 for rotating the rack 10 about the axis of elongation of the rack 10. In order to rotate the rack 10 about its axis of elongation, the rotational drive system 65 comprises an axis element in contact with an end of the rack 10.

(16) Said device for generating at least one image 6 also comprises a device 8 for transmitting the at least one image on an analysis unit 9.

(17) The analysis unit 9 is a processor connected to a screen.

(18) The installation 1 also comprises a device 3′ for demagnetizing the rack 10 allowing demagnetizing said rack.

(19) FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a check method 100 according to the invention.

(20) The method 100 for checking the conformity of the rack 10 implements an installation 1.

(21) The check method 100 comprises a step 20 of depositing the rack 10 over the conveyor 2. The depositing step 20 is carried out by an operator or an automatic machine. The operator or said automatic machine positions each end of the rack on the supports of the conveyor belts 21.

(22) The conveyor 2 brings the rack 10 up to the magnetizing device 3 which carries out a step 30 of magnetizing the rack 10.

(23) Afterwards, the rack 10 is sprayed by means of the spray device 4 with the revealing product during a spraying step 40.

(24) The drying device 5 induces a current in the rack 10 so as to increase its temperature and thus dry the revealing product during a drying step 50. Thus, the revealing product is dry during the image capturing step and does not create any shiny area.

(25) The conveyor 2 brings the rack 10 up to the device for generating at least one image 6 which carries out a step 60 of capturing an image of the rack 10. The image capturing step 60 generates a plurality of images 101 of the rack 10.

(26) More specifically, the image capturing step 60 comprises a bar image capturing phase 66 in which the device 65 for rotating the rack 10 performs a step-by-step rotation of the rack 10 by a predetermined angle and each of the first image capture apparatuses 61 take an image at each step of a body 11 of the rack 10.

(27) In other words, at the first step «n», each of the first image capture apparatuses 61 takes an image of a portion of the line «m» of the rack 10. By line of the rack 10, it should be understood an area extending over the entire length of the rack, of the surface of the rack 10 opposite the first image capture apparatuses 61. An assembly of the 4 portions of the line «m» forms an image of the line «m» of the rack 10.

(28) At the next step «n+1», the rack has pivoted about its axis of elongation by a predetermined angle. The line «m+1» is then opposite the first image capture apparatuses 61. Each of the first image capture apparatuses 61 takes an image of a portion of the line «m+1» of the rack 10. An assembly of the 4 portions of the line «m+1» forms an image of the line «m+1» of the rack 10.

(29) Once the rack has performed a complete rotation about its axis of elongation, that is to say when the line «m» is again opposite the first image capture apparatuses 61, an image of all of the lines of the rack has been carried out.

(30) Afterwards, the image capturing step 60 comprises a toothing image capturing phase 67 in which each of the 2 second image capture apparatuses 62 takes images of the toothing 12 of the rack.

(31) More specifically, one of the second image capture apparatuses 62 is oriented so as to be able to take an image of a right tooth flank of at least one tooth of the toothing whereas the other image capture apparatus 62 is oriented so as to be able to take an image of a left tooth flank of the at least one tooth.

(32) A field depth of the second image capture apparatuses 62 allows taking 3 tooth flanks of 3 successive teeth on the same image.

(33) Thus, the rack 10 is oriented so as to set the toothing opposite the second image capture apparatuses 62. The second image capture apparatuses 62 take an image of the right and left tooth flanks of the first three teeth «d». Then, the second image capture apparatuses 62 are translated by means of the translational drive system 64 by a predetermined distance. The predetermined distance depends on the field depth of the second image capture apparatuses. The second image capture apparatuses 62 take an image of the right and left tooth flanks of the next three teeth «d+1». In this manner, an image of the right and left tooth flanks of all of the teeth of the toothing 12 is taken.

(34) FIG. 5 represents a color image of the right tooth flanks of the toothing 12 of the rack 10. In said image, taken under an ultraviolet light, the revealing product that enters into the cracks 120 appears in fluorescent green.

(35) The images 101 taken by the device for generating at least one image 6 are transmitted during a step 80 of transmitting the at least one image of the rack by the transmission device 8 to the analysis unit 9.

(36) The analysis unit carries out a processing of the images 101. More specifically, in order to facilitate the detection of bar line type defects, the analysis unit 9 assembles the images of each line of the rack 10 taken during the bar image capturing phase 66. In this manner, the analysis unit creates from a multitude of line image, a first image representing a developed pattern of the body 11 of the rack 10.

(37) FIG. 6 represents a portion of a first black and white image of a portion of the rack featuring a bar line 110. In said image, a bar line type defect 110 is present and appears in white.

(38) Furthermore, in order to facilitate the detection of crack type defects, the analysis unit 9 assembles the images of the right tooth flanks and then of the left tooth flanks of all of the teeth of the toothing 12 taken during the toothing image capturing phase 67. In this manner, the analysis unit creates from a multitude of images, two second images representing a developed pattern of the toothing 12 of the rack 10.

(39) Using the analysis unit which displays the images 101 of the rack 10 on the screen, an operator determines the conformity of the rack 10 during an analysis step 90. If the rack 10 does not have bar line or crack type defects, the rack is considered compliant. Then, a conformity signal C is emitted by the analysis unit. If the rack 10 has bar line or crack type defects, the rack is considered non-compliant. Then, a defect signal D is emitted by the analysis unit.

(40) Upon the conformity signal C, the conveyor 2 then brings the rack 10 up to the demagnetizing device 3′ which carries out a step 300 of demagnetizing the rack 10.

(41) Upon the defect signal D, the rack is evacuated by an operator or an automaton who/which removes said rack off the conveyor 2 during an evacuation step 400.

(42) In this manner, the installation 1 enables a quality check of the rack 10.

(43) Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described and represented in the appended figures. Modifications are still possible, in particular with regards to the constitution of the various elements or by substitution with technical equivalents, yet without departing from the scope of the invention.