Method of optically scanning the tread surface of a pneumatic tyre of a vehicle wheel

• US 20080011074A1
• Filed: 04/13/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Equipment S.r.l. (Snap-On Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Equipment S.r.l. (Snap-On Incorporated)
• Inventors: Braghiroli, Francesco
• Granted Patent: US 7,523,655 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/146
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/2755 using photoelectric detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/22 Wheels in a state of motion supported on rollers, rotating platform or other structure substantially capable of only one degree of rotational freedom
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/027 using light, e.g. infrared, ultraviolet or holographic techniques

Abstract

A method of and an apparatus for optically scanning the tread surface of a pneumatic tyre 10 which for forming a vehicle wheel 1 is mounted on a disc wheel 5, wherein measurement data are obtained along a plurality of peripheral lines by light beam scanning, said data corresponding to the spacings of the impingement points of the light beams on the tread surface from a reference position, wherein associated first or higher harmonics for quality classification of the rotational truth of the vehicle wheel are formed in a computer-aided evaluation apparatus 9 from the measurement data along the respective peripheral lines.

Claims

1. A method of optically scanning the tread surface of a pneumatic tyre which for forming a vehicle wheel is mounted on a disc wheel, in which the vehicle wheel is rotated about a stationary axis, light beams are directed from a given position on to the tread surface of the pneumatic tyre and the directions of the light beams reflected at the surface of the tread are detected for determining the spacings of the impingement points of the light beams on the tread surface from a reference position, as measurement data, wherein the operation of scanning the tyre tread surface is carried out along a plurality of peripheral lines disposed in mutually juxtaposed relationship in the axial direction,

characterised in that formed from the measurement data formed along the plurality of peripheral lines are the associated first and/or higher harmonics or an averaged first and/or higher harmonic, in rotary angle-related fashion.

2. A method according to claim 1,

characterised in that the first or the higher harmonics associated with the respective peripheral lines or the averaged first or the higher harmonic are or is recorded.

3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2,

characterised in that a rotational truth deviation vector is formed from the measurement data along the plurality of peripheral lines.

4. A method according to one of claims 1 to 3,

characterised in that the tread surface of the tyre is scanned in point form along the peripheral lines.

5. A method according to one of claims 1 to 4,

characterised in that the pneumatic tyre is rotated with respect to the disc wheel about the wheel axis by an angle at which the mass of a static unbalance to be compensated or the masses of a dynamic unbalance to be compensated is or are minimised.

6. A method according to one of claims 1 to 5,

characterised in that a radial run-out is ascertained from the averaged first harmonic.

7. A method according to claim 6,

characterised in that the run-out is displayed.

8. A method according to claim 6 or claim 7,

characterised in that the ascertained run-out is compared to a threshold value in respect of the run-out.

9. A method according to one of the claims 1 to 8,

characterised in that the radial run out of the wheel assembly is minimised by matching a high spot of the tyre run out with a low spot of the rim run out.

10. A method according to one of the claims 1 to 9,

characterised in that from the measured data along the peripheral lines or the therefrom derived harmonics a 3D plot where a wheel is shown schematically in a perspective view with the data overlapped to the tread is provided.

11. Apparatus for optically scanning the tread surface of a pneumatic tyre which for forming a vehicle wheel is mounted on a disc wheel, comprising a rotatable mounting for the vehicle wheel (1), at least one light source (16) which emits a light beam directed on to the tread surface of the pneumatic tyre (10), a receiver (11, 12, 13) which is movable synchronously with the light source (16) and which receives a beam reflected from the impingement spot of the emitted light beam on the tread surface and produces a signal in dependence on the receiving position at the receiver, wherein the light source (16) and the receiver (11, 12, 13) are movable in parallel relationship with the wheel axis into given axial positions and wherein in each axial position along a peripheral line rotary angle-dependent measurement data which correspond to the respective spacings of the impingement spots from a reference position are formed from the received signals, a rotary angle sender (17) which is coupled to the rotated vehicle wheel (1) and which produces rotary angle signals in dependence on the rotation of the vehicle wheel (1), and a computer-aided evaluation apparatus (9) which is connected to the rotary angle sender (17) and the receiver (11, 12, 13) and which from the formed measurement data forms first and/or higher harmonics associated with each peripheral line or a first and/or higher harmonic which is averaged from all measurement data, in rotary angle-related fashion.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11,

characterised in that the evaluation apparatus (9) has a vector-forming means which from the measurement data along the plurality of peripheral lines forms a rotational truth deviation vector.