Method and device for the measuring of wheel angles

• US 6,043,875 A
• Filed: 05/20/1998
• Issued: 03/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Truckcam AB (Snap-On Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Jonas Samuelsson
• Inventors: Samuelsson, Jonas
• Primary Examiner(s): Font, Frank G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PUNNOOSE, ROY M
• Application Number:
  US09/082,371
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 356/39.09, 356/155, 356/139.09, 356/138
• US Class Current: 356/139.09
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/275 for testing wheel alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/143 One or more cameras on each side of a vehicle in the main embodiment
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/16 Active or passive device attached to the chassis of a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/20 Vehicle in a state of translatory motion
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/24 Specially developed for using with trucks or other heavy-duty vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/28 Beam projector and related sensors, camera, inclinometer or other active sensing or projecting device
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/30 Reference markings, reflector, scale or other passive device

Abstract

Measuring system for the measuring of wheel angles comprising cameras (21) pivotable on rear wheel (22) fastenings and looking both on front wheel marker arrangements (24) and a marker device (25) arranged perpendicular relative the length direction of the vehicle. The camera registers the angles of the wheel it is mounted on by viewing the marker device and the angles of the front wheel by subtracting the angles of the wheel with the camera from those obtained for the marker arrangement on the front wheel. The marker arrangement is diametrically symmetric and allows together with pivotability of the camera a rotating of the wheels over a half revolution so that possible mounting errors can be detected and correlated for.

Claims

1. Marker device for the measuring of wheel angles on vehicles with an electronic camera, in particular toe in, camber and thrust misalignment between wheels and body, comprising:

a supporting structure provided with fastening means enabling mounting on a vehicle perpendicular to the length axis of the vehicle and at each end being provided with at least three markers that are detectable by the camera, the three markers at each end being placed so that at least two have different positions relative to the length axis of the vehicle and at least two have different positions perpendicular to the length axis of the vehicle, the positions of the markers are well defined as to dimensions and configuration so that the marker device can serve as a base for parallelism and camera angles at a measuring of the wheel angles so that the measurements of the left and right side can be correlated.

2. Marker device according to claim 1, wherein the marker device comprising at each end markers arranged at the ends of the arms of a cross with all markers facing in a direction parallel to the length axis of the vehicle in an essentially horizontal plane and with one arm of the cross parallel to the length axis of the vehicle and the other arm perpendicular to the length axis of the vehicle.

3. Marker device according to claim 1 wherein the marker device comprising at each end markers arranged on a reference axle that is mounted horizontal and perpendicular to the vehicle length axis, which axle in turn is rotatable, preferably over at least a half turn enabling a check of the marker device and correction for misalignment between the right and left side, simply by turning the axle, if correct the same angle will be recorded after a half revolution, if a difference is registered the registered angle values can be used for correction.

4. Marker device according to claim 1, and comprising a symmetrical double set of markers at the ends.

5. Marker device according to claim 1, wherein the marker ends being pivotable on axles essentially perpendicular to the length direction of the vehicle.

8. Marker device according to claim 1, wherein the markers having different sizes or contours for identification purposes.

9. Marker device according to claim 1, wherein the markers have defined size to enable the camera to check if calculated distance registrations are correct.

14. Method for the measuring of wheel angles on vehicles, in particular toe in, camber and thrust misalignment, comprising the steps of mounting an electronic camera on a wheel, the camera being pivotable on its mounting and the camera registering the angles of that wheel by viewing a marker device in accordance with claim 1.

15. Method according to claim 14, wherein the camera simultaneously registers the positions of a marker arrangement on another wheel, the angles of which are obtained by subtracting the angles of the wheel with the camera from those obtained for the marker arrangement.

6. Marker arrangement for mounting on the wheels when measuring wheel angles on vehicles with an electronic camera, in particular toe in, camber and thrust misalignment between wheels and body, comprising:

at least three markers that are detectable by the camera, the three markers being placed so that at least two have different positions relative to the length axis of the vehicle and at least two have different positions perpendicular to the length axis of the vehicle, the positions of the markers are well defined as to dimensions and configuration so that the wheel angles can be registered.

7. Marker arrangement according to claim 6, wherein said markers are symmetrically placed in relation to the wheel axle with individual markers located at the ends of the arms of the cross, said cross including two diagonal arms extending essentially concentric with the wheel axis, said cross including at the distal ends of these arms pairs of reflectors arranged facing in opposite directions.

16. Marker device according to claim 6, wherein the markers having different sizes or contours for identification purposes.

17. Marker device according to claim 6, wherein the markers have defined size to enable the camera to check if calculated distance registrations are correct.

10. Camera for the measuring of wheel angles on vehicles, in particular toe-in, camber and thrust misalignment between wheels and body, comprising a fastening means for fastening it on a vehicle wheel and that the camera is journaled on the fastening means pivotable on an axle that is essentially coinciding with the vehicle wheel and that the camera has its center of gravity and pivot axle so located that the camera automatically will hang looking forwards with the optical axis of the camera essentially perpendicular to the pivot axis.

11. Camera according to claim 10, wherein the pivot bearing being symmetric relative the optical axis of the camera so that symmetric readings are obtained if the same camera is shifted between the vehicle sides.

12. Camera according to claim 10, wherein the camera being pivotable mountable in front or in the rear of the vehicle at the ends of a reference axle that is essentially perpendicular to the length direction of the vehicle and horizontal, the reference axle being rotatable in a support or fastening bracket, preferably over a half revolution to enable a parallelism check and correlation of the camera angles.

13. Method for the measuring of wheel angles on vehicles, in particular toe in, camber and thrust misalignment between wheels and body, comprising the use of an electronic camera looking along the vehicle and bars provided with two markers at each end that are easy for the camera to detect, which bars are of the same length and arranged horizontally and laterally symmetrically at different locations lengthwise of the vehicle, marker bars serving as a base for parallelism at the measuring of the wheel angles so that the measurements of the left and right side can be correlated.