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Non-contact method and apparatus for determining camber and caster of a vehicle wheel

  • US 5,978,077 A
  • Filed: 10/31/1997
  • Issued: 11/02/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1996
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. In a non-contact wheel alignment machine for use in determining one or more wheel alignment characteristics of a vehicle, said wheel alignment machine having a computer and a plurality of non-contact measurement sensors electrically connected to said computer, wherein at least one of said measurement sensors includes:

  • first and second toe light sources that project shaped light onto a sidewall of a tire of one of the vehicle'"'"'s wheels at respective first and second locations;

    a third light source that projects shaped light onto the sidewall of the tire at a third location; and

    an optical sensor system having one or more fields of view that includes said first, second, and third locations; and

    wherein said computer is operable under control of a program and in response to data from said optical sensor system to determine a toe angle and a camber angle associated with the tire;

    wherein the improvement comprises;

    said computer being operable under control of said program to utilize said toe angle in determining said camber angle.

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