Method of measuring the three-dimensional profile of a ground, and device for implementing said method

• US 7,984,646 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2006
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique SA (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA)
• Original Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique SA (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA)
• Inventors: Muhlhoff, Olivier, Chabry, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen; Andre J
• Application Number:
  US12/087,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20090145214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,687 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 73/146
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/303 using photoelectric detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 7/04 involving a vehicle which moves along the profile to be traced

Abstract

A method of measuring the profile, in three dimensions, of a pavement on which vehicles fitted with at least one tire may run. A first topographical measurement is carried out on site with a precision of at least one millimeter of an elementary surface of said pavement, then the points of contact between said surface and the tread of a given tire are defined and at least a second topographical measurement of said points of contact is carried out on site so as to obtain a three-dimensional representation, with a resolution of the order of one micron, of the microroughness of said points of contact.

Claims

1. A method of measuring, in three dimensions, the profile of a pavement on which vehicles fitted with at least one tire can run, comprising the steps of:

performing a first topographical measurement on site with a precision of at least one millimeter of an elementary surface of said pavement;

defining the points of contact between said surface and the tread of a given tire; and

performing at least a second topographical measurement of said points of contact is carried out on site so as to obtain a representation, with a resolution of the order of one micron, of the microroughness of said points of contact.

2. The method of measuring according to claim 1, wherein the points of contact with the tread are defined by means of a calculation algorithm for modeling said elementary surface of the pavement and by integrating into it characteristics of the tire, such as its pressure, the elastic modulus of the tread and the type of grooving of said tread.

3. The method of measuring according to claim 1, wherein at least a third measurement is carried out on site so as to obtain a three-dimensional representation, with a resolution of the order of ten microns or so, of the medio-roughness of said points of contact.

4. The method of measuring according to claim 1, wherein the elementary surface of the pavement has an area of at least 5 cm².

5. The method of measuring according to claim 3, wherein the measurement area corresponding to the third measurement of the points of contact is between 2 mm² and 1 cm².

6. The method of measuring according to claim 1, wherein the measurement area corresponding to the second measurement of the points of contact is between 0.01 and 2 mm².