Method and device for detecting, determining and documenting damage, especially deformations in lacquered surfaces caused by sudden events

• US 20070146728A1
• Filed: 04/02/2004
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Erwin Pristner
• Original Assignee: Erwin Pristner
• Inventors: Pristner, Erwin
• Application Number:
  US10/551,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20070146728A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/612
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 5/00 Servicing, maintaining, repairing, or refitting of vehicles vehicles adapted to carry a workshop for servicing or maintenance B60P3/14; servicing rail locomotives B61K
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/306 for measuring evenness
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8806 Specially adapted optical and illumination features

Abstract

A method and a device for detecting, determining and documenting damage to painted surfaces, especially parts of the bodywork of vehicles, utilizes light from at least one heavily focusing light source directed to a test surface in a grid-type or raster-type manner to produce a surface image on a screen with the light reflected on the test surface of the vehicle, the image being detected by a capturing, evaluating and signal processing device. The surface damage therein is then determined according to a specific evaluation algorithm and outputted for objective documentation of the damage. Results are achieved by coordinated, controlled displacement and/or pivoting between the light source and screen and by means of a rotational and/or displacement and or pivoting movement of the vehicle, which is controlled in accordance with the displacement and/or pivoting, around or along the longitudinal and/or vertical axis thereof inside a load-bearing structure, wherein the respective surface area to be sensed is brought towards the light source in the reflection position and the screen and the capturing device are brought towards the reflected light in an imaging position and the movements of the light source, screen, capturing device and vehicle are controlled by a processor unit.

Claims

1-32. -32. (canceled)

33. An apparatus for recording, measuring, and documenting damages to an object having a painted surface, comprising:

a support frame in which the object is receivable, said support frame including guide rails;

a focused light source for illuminating the surface with a light beam, said light source being mounted on said support frame such that said light source is displaceable along said guide rails and pivotable at least one of horizontally or vertically;

a screen for forming an image of the surface by the light beam reflected by the surface, said screen being mounted on said support frame such that said screen is displaceable along said guide rails and is pivotable;

a recording device for recording the images;

a measurement table to which the object is anchorable, said measurement table being rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereby allowing each position of the painted surface of said object to be brought into a reflection position with respect to said light source and said screen;

a processor unit for correlating and coordinating movements of the light source, the screen, and the object;

an evaluation and signal processing device for creating results by processing and evaluating the images recorded; and

at least one of a display or an output device for displaying and/or outputting the results.

34. An apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said object is a vehicle comprising body parts.

35. An apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said damages include depressions caused by sudden events.

36. An apparatus according to claim 34, wherein:

said support frame includes horizontal or vertical braces; and

said support frame is a container support frame including side walls and end walls which are pivotable about said horizontal or vertical braces thereby defining a support frame that is open on the end walls and side walls for accommodating and scanning said vehicle.

37. An apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said braces of said support frame are embodied such that they can be lockably assembled.

38. An apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said support frame further includes at least one of a communications space or an operator space separated off from said support frame in which said evaluation and signal processing unit, said display or said output device, and said processor unit are located.

39. An apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said support frame further includes at least one of a communications space or an operator space separated off from said support frame in which said evaluation and signal processing unit, said display or said output device, and said processor unit are located.

40. An apparatus according to claim 38, wherein said communications and operator space is heat- and sound-insulated.

41. An apparatus according to claim 39, wherein said communications and operator space is heat- and sound-insulated.

42. An apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said support frame is part of a mobile vehicle.

43. An apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said mobile vehicle includes a truck or a mobile container frame.

44. An apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said light source is a laser light, pulsed flashlight, or infrared light.

45. An apparatus according to claim 44, wherein said laser light is a gas laser such as an excimer laser, argon ion laser, chemical laser, CO laser, CO₂ laser, optically pumped molecular laser, solid state laser, or semiconductor laser.

46. An apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said screen is a mesh, matte glass pane, light-sensitive plate, or self-reflecting projection wall.

47. An apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said screen is an electro-optical receiver.

48. An apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said electro-optical receiver includes a diode array.

49. An apparatus according to claim 34, wherein:

the light scans said surface to be scanned in lines; and

an advance when the light beam is displaced is smaller than a light beam diameter.

50. An apparatus according to claims 34, wherein the reflected light beams are deflectable directly onto said screen with simultaneous enlargement of the image scale of said surface.

51. An apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said recording device for recording the surface image includes a photographic camera, a digital camera, or a web cam.