BRAKE TEST STAND

• US 20120204632A1
• Filed: 02/10/2012
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2011
• 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: KIRSTÄTTER, Klaus
• Granted Patent: US 8,857,251 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/121
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/24 Wear-indicating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/22 Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/221 Procedure or apparatus for checking or keeping in a correct functioning condition of brake systems hydraulic pressure systems in general F15B19/00, F15B21/04; testing structures or apparatus G01M
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/282 the vehicle wheels cooperating with rotatable rolls
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/0074 Details, e.g. roller construction, vehicle restraining devices

Abstract

A brake test stand for testing vehicle brakes and for determining the brake forces acting on the respective vehicle wheel. The brake test stand comprises first and second pairs of rollers for positioning the two wheels mounted on a common axis of a vehicle thereon, wherein the rollers of each pair of rollers are arranged opposite to each other and the pairs of rollers are provided side by side. A control unit controls the test stand. First sensing devices are positioned respectively below and between the rollers of each pair of rollers for sensing the pattern of the running surface of each of the tires of the wheels mounted on the common axis. A processing and calculation unit processes the data obtained by the first sensing devices for calculating tire conditions based on a correlation of the data of the coaxially mounted tires.

Claims

1. A brake test stand for testing vehicle brakes and for determining the brake forces acting on the respective vehicle wheel, the brake test stand comprises:

at least a first and a second pair of rollers for positioning the two wheels mounted on a common axis of a vehicle thereon, wherein the rollers of each pair of rollers are arranged opposite to each other and the pairs of rollers are provided side by side,

a control unit for controlling the test stand, and

first sensing devices positioned respectively below and between the rollers of each pair of rollers for sensing at least the pattern of the running surface of each of the tires of the wheels mounted on the common axis,

characterized by a processing and calculation unit being adapted to process the data obtained by the first sensing devices for calculating tire conditions on the basis of a correlation of the data of the tires of the wheels mounted on the common axis.

2. The brake test stand according to claim 1,

wherein the first sensing devices are a strip of light sensor.

3. The brake test stand according to claim 1,

wherein the first sensing devices sense the tread depth.

4. The brake test stand according to claim 1,

wherein second sensing devices arranged laterally to the first sensing devices for sensing the side walls of the tire.

5. The brake test stand according to claim 4,

wherein the second sensing devices sense structure of the side walls of the tire.

6. The brake test stand according to claim 1,

wherein the first and/or the second sensing devices are coupled to and controlled by the control unit of the brake test stand.

7. The brake test stand according to claim 1,

wherein the processing and calculation unit is adapted to calculate and create an image of the running surface of the tire.

8. The brake test stand according to claim 1,

wherein the processing and calculation unit is further adapted to calculate the data for executing a wheel alignment on the basis of the data obtained by the sensing devices.

9. The brake test stand according to claim 1,

wherein the first and/or the second sensing devices comprising means for adjusting their position at least perpendicular and/or parallel to the axis of rotation of the rollers of the brake test stand.

10. The brake test stand according to claim 1,

wherein at least the first sensing devices emitting a fan-shaped light beam comprising means for adjusting at least the width of the fan shaped light beam.

11. A method for testing wheels on a brake test stand and for determining the brake forces acting on the respective vehicle wheel, the method comprises the steps of:

positioning the two wheels of a vehicle mounted on a common axis of said vehicle on a first and a second pair of rollers of the brake test stand,

driving at least one of the rollers of the two pairs of rollers,

sensing at least the pattern the running surface of each of the tires of the wheels mounted on the same axis by first sensing devices positioned below and between the rollers during a run of the wheels for testing purposes, and

processing the data obtained by the first sensing devices and calculating tire conditions on the basis of a correlation of the data of the tires mounted on said common axis by a processing and calculation unit.

12. The method according to claim 11,

wherein the method further comprises the step of outputting a massage for the further treatment of the tires on the basis of the calculated tire conditions.

13. The method according to claim 11,

wherein the calculated tire conditions include wheel alignment information.

14. The method according to claim 11,

wherein the method further comprises the step of executing a wheel alignment on the basis of the data obtained by the first sensing devices.

15. The method according to claim 11,

wherein the method further comprises the step of adjusting the position the first sensing devices and/or the width of the fan-shaped light beam emitted by the first sensing devices after the two wheels of a vehicle mounted on a common axis of said vehicle have been positioned on the first and second pair of rollers of the brake test stand.