Ultrasonic wheel measuring apparatus and wheel balancer incorporating same

• US 5,189,912 A
• Filed: 07/09/1992
• Issued: 03/02/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Interbalco AG
• Original Assignee: Interbalco AG
• Inventors: O'Sullivan, Brendan, Quinlan, Michael M., Pacey, Gordon C., Kreft, Keith A., Borner, Willy, Jackson, Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAPMAN JR, JOHN E
• Application Number:
  US07/911,355
• Time in Patent Office: 236 Days
• Field of Search: 73/462, 73/468, 73/487, 73/597, 73/146, 364/561, 364/562, 364/563, 301/5 BA
• US Class Current: 73/462
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/02 Details of balancing machines or devices

Abstract

A wheel balancer comprises apparatus for determining the radius of a rim of a hub of a wheel and for determining the distance of the inner and outer side walls of the hub from a reference plane. A framework which is pivotal downwardly over the wheel to be balanced carries a pair of ultrasonic transducers to determine distance of the sides of the wheel from the reference plane. A transducer monitors the position of the framework. The distances monitored by the ultrasonic transducers are stored in a microprocessor against the corresponding positions of the framework at intervals on movement of the framework. The ultrasonic transducers detect a large change in distance from the reference plane caused by the hub well periphery. The hub rim radius is computed from the well periphery radius, while the distances of the side wall from the reference plane is obtained by looking up the stored values of distances which corresponds with the appropriate position of the framework for the hub rim radius.

Claims

1. Apparatus for determining the radial distance of a balance weight receiving location from the rotational axis of a vehicle wheel and for determining the distance of the balance weight receiving location from a reference plane, the apparatus comprising:

a housing;

receiving means mounted on the housing for receiving the wheel, the receiving means defining the rotational axis of the wheel;

a mounting means movable relative to the housing;

sensing means for transmitting and receiving a signal for detecting the wheel and a characteristic of the wheel, the sensing means being mounted on the mounting means so that on movement of the mounting means relative to the housing, the signal of the sensing means is directed towards and moves over portion of a radial side face of the wheel;

detecting means for detecting the position of the mounting means relative to the housing; and

computing means for storing reference parameters of reference vehicle wheels, and for computing corresponding parameters of the vehicle wheel from the signals received by the sensing means and detecting means, and for comparing the parameters of the vehicle wheel with the reference parameters of the reference wheels for determining the radius of the balance weight receiving location from the rotational axis of the wheel and for determining the distance of the balance weight receiving location from the reference plane.

2. Apparatus for locating a characteristic on a radial side face of a vehicle wheel, the vehicle wheel defining a rotational axis, and for determining the radial distance of the characteristic from the rotational axis of the wheel, and the distance of the characteristic from a reference plane which extends transversely of the rotational axis of the wheel, the apparatus comprising:

a housing;

receiving means mounted on the housing for receiving the wheel, the receiving means defining the rotational axis of the wheel;

a mounting means movable relative to the housing, and constrained to move in a predetermined path relative to the housing;

sensing means for transmitting and receiving a measuring signal for detecting the wheel and the characteristic, the sensing means being mounted on the mounting means at a predetermined position relative to the predetermined path, and being arranged so that on movement of the mounting means relative to the housing, the measuring signal of the sensing means is directed towards and moves over a portion of the radial side face of the wheel;

detecting means for detecting the position of the mounting means relative to the housing; and

computing means for computing the radial distance of the characteristic from the rotational axis, and the distance of the characteristic from the reference plane based upon output signals received from the sensing means and the detecting means.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said sensing means comprises a pair of sensors, said sensors being mounted on the mounting means at first and second predetermined positions respectively so that on movement of the mounting means the measuring signals of said sensors move over portion of respective opposite radial side faces of the wheel.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, in which the detecting means comprises a transducer for monitoring the position of the mounting means, and each sensor is an ultrasonic sensor having an ultrasonic transmitter and receiver contained therein.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, in which the mounting means is provided by a framework having a pair of spaced apart side members, which in use receive portion of the wheel therebetween, the predetermined position of the sensing means being fixed relative to the respective side members of the framework.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, in which the predetermined positions of the sensors are provided on respective side members substantially opposing each other, the signal of each sensor being transmitted in a direction substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the wheel, the predetermined path through which the framework is constrained to move is substantially a radial path in a direction towards the rotational axis of the wheel.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, in which one of said first and second predetermined positions is slightly advanced of the other in the direction of motion of the framework towards the rotational axis of the wheel.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, in which the mounting means is pivotally mounted about a pivot axis, the pivot axis being parallel to and spaced apart from the rotational axis of the wheel, the pivot axis and rotational axis together defining a common plane.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, in which the computing means stores distances of each side face of the wheel from the reference plane against corresponding positions of the mounting means at predetermined intervals of movement of the mounting means.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, in which the computing means stores reference parameters of reference vehicle wheels, and computes corresponding parameters of the vehicle wheel from the signals received by the sensing means and detecting means, and compares the parameters of the vehicle wheel with the reference parameters of the reference vehicle wheels.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10, in which the computing means computes the radial distance of a balance weight receiving location from the rotational axis of the vehicle wheel and the distance of the balance weight receiving location from the reference plane.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10, in which the computing means stores respective cross-sectional profiles of at least a portion of the reference vehicle wheels, and the computing means computes a profile of said portion of the vehicle wheel and compares the computed profile with the profiles of the reference vehicle wheels for determining at least the radius of the balance weight receiving location of the vehicle wheel.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12, in which the sensing means detects the periphery of a well of a hub of the vehicle wheel, and the computing means stores distances relating to the surface of the radial side face of the vehicle wheel against corresponding values of radii at intervals on movement of the mounting means, and the computing means computes the radius of the periphery of the well of the hub based upon the signals received from the sensing means and the detecting means, and adds a predetermined distance to the computed value of the radius of the periphery of the well for determining the radius of the balance weight receiving location, and looks up a stored value of distance of the surface of the radial side face of the vehicle wheel from the reference plane, corresponding to the radius of the balance weight receiving location.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, in which the radius and distance of balance weight receiving locations on each side of the wheel are determined by the computing means, the radius of each balance weight receiving location being the radius of a rim of the hub and the distance of each balance weight receiving location being the distance of a respective side wall of the hub adjacent the rim from the reference plane.

15. Apparatus for determining the radial distance of a balance weight receiving location from the rotational axis of a vehicle wheel and for determining the distance of the balance weight receiving location from a reference plane which extends transversely of the rotational axis of the wheel, the apparatus comprising:

a housing;

receiving means mounted on the housing for receiving the wheel, the receiving means defining the rotational axis of the wheel;

a mounting means movable relative to the housing, and constrained to move in a predetermined path relative to the housing;

sensing means for transmitting and receiving a measuring signal for determining the balance weight receiving location of the wheel, the sensing means being mounted on the mounting means at a predetermined position relative to the predetermined path, and being arranged so that on movement of the mounting means relative to the housing, the measuring signal of the sensing means is directed towards and moves over portion of a radial side face of the wheel;

detecting means for detecting the position of the mounting means relative to the housing; and

computing means for storing reference parameters of reference vehicle wheels, and for computing corresponding parameters of the vehicle wheel based upon output signals received by the sensing means and detecting means, and for comparing the parameters of the vehicle with the reference parameters of the reference wheels for determining the radius of the balance weight receiving location from the rotational axis of the wheel and for determining the distance of the balance weight receiving location from the reference plane.

16. Wheel balancing apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a receiving means comprising a shaft rotatably mounted in the housing for receiving a wheel to be balanced, and defining the rotational axis of the wheel; and

locating means for locating a characteristic on a radial side face of the wheel, and for determining the radial distance of the characteristic from the rotational axis of the wheel, and the distance of the characteristic from a reference plane which extends transversely of the rotational axis of the wheel, the locating means comprising;

mounting means movable relative to the housing, and constrained to move in a predetermined path relative to the housing;

sensing means for transmitting and receiving a signal for detecting the wheel and the characteristic, the sensing means being mounted on the mounting means at a predetermined position relative to the predetermined path, and being arranged so that on movement of the mounting means relative to the housing, the signal of the sensing means is directed towards, and moves over portion of, a radial side face of the wheel;

detecting means for detecting a position of the mounting means relative to the housing;

computing means for computing the radial distance of the characteristic from the rotational axis, and the distance of the characteristic from the reference plane based upon output signals received from the sensing means and the detecting means; and

means for determining the imbalance of the wheel operatively connected to said computing means.

17. A method for locating a characteristic of a radial side face of a vehicle wheel, the vehicle wheel defining a rotational axis, and for determining the radial distance of the characteristic from the rotational axis of the wheel, and the distance of the characteristic from a reference plane which extends transversely to the rotational axis of the wheel, the method comprising the steps of:

mounting the wheel on a receiving means, which is axially fixed to a housing and rotatable about the rotational axis;

transmitting and receiving a measuring signal from a sensing means;

moving a mounting means relative to the housing to cause the signal from the sensing means, mounted on the mounting means, to move over a radial side face of at least a portion of the wheel for detecting the characteristic; and

computing a radial distance of the characteristic from the rotational axis, and the distance of the characteristic from the reference plane based upon output signals received from the sensing means and a detecting means which detects a position of the mounting means.

18. A method for determining the radius of a balance weight receiving location of a vehicle wheel from the rotational axis of the wheel and for determining the distance of the balance weight receiving location from a reference plane, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting and receiving a measuring signal from a sensing means;

moving a mounting means so that the signal from the sensing means, mounted thereon, moves over at least a portion of a radial side face of a hub of the wheel;

recording and storing the distances of the surface of portion of the radial side face of the hub from the reference plane against the corresponding positions of the mounting means at a plurality of different positions of the mounting means at intervals as the mounting means is moved;

comparing at least one of the stored values against reference parameters of reference wheels for determining the type of wheel; and

determining the radius of the balance weight receiving location and the distance of the location from the reference plane from at least one of the stored values.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

computing a profile of a cross section of at least a portion of the wheel and comparing the profile with corresponding profiles of reference vehicle wheels to determine the type of wheel, the profile computed comprising a profile of a section of the wheel hub adjacent the well periphery of the hub; and

computing the radius of at least one balance weight receiving location and the distance of the at least one balance weight receiving locations.

20. A method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

computing the radius of the periphery of the hub well based upon output signals received from the sensing means and detecting means when the sensing means detects a relatively large change in distance of the outer surface of a radial side face of the hub from the reference plane;

adding a predetermined distance, corresponding to the difference between a rim radius of the hub and a well peripheral radius, to the well peripheral radius to provide the radius of the hub rim; and

looking up the stored values of the distances of the surface of the radial side faces of the wheel from the reference plane corresponding to a radius of the side wall adjacent the hub rim.