System for monitoring alignment of wheels using a photoelectric sensor
First Claim
1. In a vehicle having a steering assembly that includes a pair of steering arms, each of said arms movably coupled at either end thereof to a steering tie rod and to a front wheel for simultaneously changing the direction of the front wheels, a system for monitoring alignment of the front wheels comprising:
- a pair of alignment sensing devices, one sensing device extending between each steering arm and the tie rod coupled to said arm, each of said sensing devices comprising;
a pair of concentric tubes retained in a slidable relationship, a distal end of one of said tubes coupled to an adjacent tie rod and a distal end of the remaining tube coupled to an adjacent steering arm,signal emitting means coupled to one of said tubes, said signal emitting means adapted to transmit a first signal,signal detection means coupled to one of said tubes and diametrically opposed to said emitting means, said detection means transmitting a second signal when activated by the first signal; and
activation means for simultaneously activating the emitting means in each of said sensing devices, said activation means including indicating means for sensing the second signal transmitted by said detection means, whereby said activation means simultaneously activates each of said emitting means so that each of said emitting means simultaneously transmits the first signal, each of said detection means transmitting the second signal upon activation by the first signal, said indicating means providing a first indication when the second signal is simultaneously received from each of said detection means and simultaneously terminated by each of said detection means to indicate that each of said sensing devices are simultaneously aligned and providing a second indication when the second signal from each of said detection means is not a desired one of simultaneously received, or simultaneously terminated, or both, from each of said detection means to indicate that said sensing devices are not simultaneously aligned.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for monitoring the alignment of the wheels, such as the front wheels, that control the steering of a vehicle is provided. The system includes a pair of alignment sensing devices that extend between each steering arm and a tie rod coupled to the arm, of the vehicle'"'"'s steering assembly. The sensing devices include a pair of concentric tubes retained in a slidable relationship and an alignment sensing system. After the wheels are aligned, the tubes are coupled to the steering assembly and are slid relative to each other, until the sensing system indicates that the tubes are aligned, thus indicating that the wheels are aligned. The sensing system is activated whenever desired by an operator of the vehicle. The sensing system provides a first signal to indicate that the front wheels are aligned and a second signal to indicate that at the front wheels are not aligned. Alignment is verified when the operator rotates a steering wheel of the vehicle in a desired direction until the front wheels are rotated fully in the direction. The sensing system is then activated. The operator then rotates the steering wheel in the other direction, until the front wheels are positioned fully in the remaining direction. During or after the front wheels are being positioned in the remaining direction, the sensing system provides either the first signal to indicate that the front wheels are aligned or the second signal to indicate that the front wheels are not aligned.
12 Citations
16 Claims
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1. In a vehicle having a steering assembly that includes a pair of steering arms, each of said arms movably coupled at either end thereof to a steering tie rod and to a front wheel for simultaneously changing the direction of the front wheels, a system for monitoring alignment of the front wheels comprising:
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a pair of alignment sensing devices, one sensing device extending between each steering arm and the tie rod coupled to said arm, each of said sensing devices comprising; a pair of concentric tubes retained in a slidable relationship, a distal end of one of said tubes coupled to an adjacent tie rod and a distal end of the remaining tube coupled to an adjacent steering arm, signal emitting means coupled to one of said tubes, said signal emitting means adapted to transmit a first signal, signal detection means coupled to one of said tubes and diametrically opposed to said emitting means, said detection means transmitting a second signal when activated by the first signal; and activation means for simultaneously activating the emitting means in each of said sensing devices, said activation means including indicating means for sensing the second signal transmitted by said detection means, whereby said activation means simultaneously activates each of said emitting means so that each of said emitting means simultaneously transmits the first signal, each of said detection means transmitting the second signal upon activation by the first signal, said indicating means providing a first indication when the second signal is simultaneously received from each of said detection means and simultaneously terminated by each of said detection means to indicate that each of said sensing devices are simultaneously aligned and providing a second indication when the second signal from each of said detection means is not a desired one of simultaneously received, or simultaneously terminated, or both, from each of said detection means to indicate that said sensing devices are not simultaneously aligned. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. In a vehicle having a steering assembly that includes a pair of steering arms, each of said arms movably coupled at either end thereof to a steering tie rod and to a front wheel for simultaneously changing the direction of the front wheels, a system for monitoring alignment of the front wheels comprising:
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securing means affixed to each of said steering arms and to a tie rod coupled to each of said arms; a pair of alignment sensing devices movably coupled to said securing means, one sensing device extending obtusely between each steering arm and the tie rod coupled to said arm, said sensing devices coupled to said securing means when the front wheels are aligned, each of said sensing devices comprising; a pair of hollow concentric tubes retained in a slidable relationship, a distal end of one of said tubes coupled to the securing means affixed to said tie rod and a distal end of the remaining tube coupled to the securing means affixed to said steering arm, each of said tubes having a pair of diametrically opposed apertures disposed therethrough adjacent to a proximal end of each of said tubes, such that a desired one of said tubes may be slid relative to the other to align said apertures to form a channel that extends through said tubes, adjustment means threadably coupled to the distal end of at least one of said tubes for slidably adjusting a desired one of said tubes relative to the other tube for aligning said apertures to form said channel, said adjustment means including retaining means for preventing relative movement between said adjustment means and said tubes, signal emitting means coupled to an outer periphery of said outer tube and positioned over a selected one of said apertures, said signal emitting means adapted to transmit a first signal through said aperture and through said channel, signal detection means coupled to the outer periphery of said outer tube and positioned over the remaining aperture, said detection means activated by said emitting means to transmit a second signal, test means for determining if said apertures are aligned, said test means activating said emitting means to transmit the first signal and coupled to said detection means to receive the second signal therefrom, said test means receiving the second signal from said detection means indicating that the apertures in said tubes are aligned; and activation means for simultaneously activating the emitting means in each of said sensing devices, said activation means including indicating means for sensing the second signal, whereby said activation means activates said emitting means so that each of said emitting means simultaneously transmits the first signal, each of said detection means transmitting the second signal upon activation by the first signal, said indicating means providing a first indication when the second signal is simultaneously received from each of said detection means and simultaneously terminated by each of said detection means to indicate that the apertures in each of said tubes are simultaneously aligned, thus indicating that the front wheels are aligned and providing a second indication when the second signal from each of said detection means is not a desired one of simultaneously received, or simultaneously terminated, or both, from each of said detection means to indicate that the front wheels are not aligned. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. In a vehicle having a steering assembly that includes a pair of steering arms, each of said arms movably coupled at either end thereof to a steering tie rod and to a front wheel for changing the direction of the front wheels, a method for intermittently monitoring alignment of the front wheels comprising the steps of:
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adjusting said steering assembly until the front wheels are aligned; providing a pair of alignment sensing devices, each of said sensing devices including a pair of concentric tubes slidably coupled together and alignment sensing means for sensing when said tubes are aligned; coupling one of said sensing devices to one of said steering arms and to the tie rod coupled to said arm and coupling the remaining one of said sensing devices to the other steering arm and tie rod coupled to said arm, such that each of said sensing devices extend between each of said steering arms and the adjacent tie rod; selecting one of said sensing devices and slidably adjusting said tubes until said tubes are aligned to correspond to the front wheels; selecting the remaining one of said sensing devices and slidably adjusting said tubes until said tubes are aligned; operating said vehicle for a desired time period; verifying that the front wheels of said vehicle are still aligned, said verification comprising the steps of, positioning said vehicle on a substantially level surface, providing activation means for activating the alignment sensing means of each of said sensing devices, said activation means including indicating means coupled to said alignment sensing means for indicating that said front wheels are still aligned and for indicating that the front wheels are not aligned, rotating a steering wheel coupled to said steering assembly a desired direction of clockwise and counterclockwise to cause the front wheels to rotate in the desired direction until the front wheels are positioned in a desired one of substantially leftwardly and rightwardly, activating said activation means, rotating said steering wheel in the remaining direction of said clockwise and counterclockwise directions to cause the front wheels to rotate from the position of substantially leftwardly and rightwardly to the remaining position of substantially leftwardly and rightwardly, said alignment sensing means of each of said sensing devices providing first and second signals to said indicating means for indicating that the tubes in each of said devices are simultaneously aligned and that the tubes in each of said devices are not simultaneously aligned to correspond to the alignment condition of the front wheels, said indicating means providing a first indication to indicate that the front wheels are aligned and providing a second indication to indicate that the front wheels are not aligned. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification