Position aligning apparatus of vehicle and inspection method using the same

• US 9,864,360 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2014
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Inventors: Kim, Dongmyong
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Vincent
• Application Number:
  US14/560,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20160025597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/0074 Details, e.g. roller construction, vehicle restraining devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/402 characterised by control arrangements for positioning, e.g. centring a tool relative to a hole in the workpiece, additional detection means to correct position G05B19/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/41091 Alignment, zeroing, nulling, set parallel to axis

Abstract

A position aligning apparatus of a vehicle installed at a bottom surface of a vehicle inspection line to respectively correspond to both sides of a front wheel and both sides of a rear wheel of the vehicle so as to target-position the vehicle at an inspection position includes: a front aligning unit regulating a front movement of the vehicle having entered into the vehicle inspection line and aligning a front right/left position of the vehicle while pressing a front wheel of the vehicle in a right/left direction according to operation of a first actuator; a rear aligning unit aligning a rear right/left position of the vehicle while pressing a rear wheel of the vehicle in the right/left direction according to operation of a second actuator; and a controller controlling the operation of the first and second actuators.

Claims

1. A position aligning apparatus of a vehicle installed at a bottom surface of a vehicle inspection line to respectively correspond to both sides of a front wheel and both sides of a rear wheel of the vehicle having entered into the vehicle inspection line to target-position the vehicle at an inspection position, comprising:

a front aligning unit regulating a front movement of the vehicle having entered into the vehicle inspection line and aligning a front right/left position of the vehicle to a predetermined position while pressing the front wheel of the vehicle in a right/left direction according to operation of a first actuator;

a rear aligning unit aligning a rear right/left position of the vehicle to a predetermined position while pressing the rear wheel of the vehicle in the right/left direction according to operation of a second actuator; and

a controller controlling the operation of the first and second actuators,

wherein the front aligning unit includes;

a base frame installed at the bottom surface of the vehicle inspection line;

a slide unit installed to be movable in the right/left direction of the vehicle on the base frame and connected to the first actuator to align the front right/left position of the vehicle while selectively pressing an outside and an inside of the front wheel of the vehicle; and

a plurality of sliding members installed along a moving direction of the slide unit on the base frame and contacting the front wheel of the vehicle having entered the slide unit,

wherein the slide unit includes;

a slider installed to be movable on the base frame, formed with an opening entered by the front wheel of the vehicle, and moving the outside and the inside of the front wheel according to the operation of the first actuator while selectively pressing one side and the other side of the opening; and

a guide rail provided at the front/rear lower side of the slider and guided along a guide groove formed along the moving direction of the slider at the base frame.

2. The position aligning apparatus of the vehicle of claim 1, wherein the sliding member is made of a plurality of first free rollers installed on the base frame to be disposed at the opening of the slider and installed as a pair facing each other to contact the front wheel.

3. The position aligning apparatus of the vehicle of claim 2, wherein a pair of first free rollers includes one side that is respectively declined toward a center of the opening.

4. The position aligning apparatus of the vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first actuator is installed at one side of the slider on the base frame and is made of an electric cylinder having an operation rod connected to the slider through a connecting portion to move the slider to a right/left side.

5. The position aligning apparatus of the vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rear aligning unit includes:

a second base frame installed at a bottom surface of the vehicle inspection line;

a second slide unit installed to be movable in the right/left direction of the vehicle on the second base frame and connected to the second actuator to align the right/left position of the vehicle while selectively pressing the outside and the inside of the rear wheel of the vehicle; and

a plurality of second sliding members installed along the moving direction of the second slide unit on the second base frame and contacting the rear wheel of the vehicle having entered the second slide unit.

6. The position aligning apparatus of the vehicle of claim 5, wherein the second slide unit includes:

a second slider installed to be movable on the second base frame, formed with an opening entered by the rear wheel of the vehicle, and moving the inside and the outside of the rear wheel according to the operation of the second actuator while selectively pressing one side and the other side of the opening; and

a second guide rail provided at the front/rear lower side of the second slider and guided along a guide groove formed along the moving direction of the second slider at the second base frame.

7. The position aligning apparatus of claim 6, wherein the second sliding member is made of a plurality of second free rollers installed on the base frame to be disposed at the opening of the second slider and installed in a pair facing each other to contact the rear wheel.

8. The position aligning apparatus of the vehicle of claim 6, wherein the second actuator is installed at one side of the second slider on the second base frame and is made of an electric cylinder having an operation rod connected to the second slider through a connecting portion to move the second slider to a right/left side.

9. A position aligning apparatus of a vehicle, comprising:

a base frame installed at a bottom surface of a vehicle inspection line;

a slide unit installed to be moveable in a right/left direction of the vehicle on the base frame and moving the position of the vehicle in the right/left direction while selectively pressing an outside and an inside of a vehicle wheel of the vehicle;

a plurality of sliding members installed along a moving direction of the slide unit on the base frame and sliding-contacted with the vehicle wheel of the vehicle having entered the slide unit; and

an actuator installed on the base frame to move the slide unit in the right/left direction,

wherein the position aligning apparatus is installed to correspond to the vehicle wheel of the vehicle having entered at the bottom surface of the vehicle inspection line to target-position the vehicle at an inspection position, and

the slide unit includes;

a slider installed to be movable on the base frame, formed with an opening entered by the front wheel of the vehicle, and moving the outside and the inside of the front wheel according to the operation of the first actuator while selectively pressing one side and the other side of the opening; and

a guide rail provided at the front/rear lower side of the slider and guided along a guide groove formed along the moving direction of the slider at the base frame.

10. The position aligning apparatus of the vehicle of claim 9, wherein the sliding member is made of a plurality of first free rollers installed on the base frame to be disposed at the opening of the slider and installed as a pair facing each other to contact the vehicle wheel of the vehicle.

11. The position aligning apparatus of the vehicle of claim 10, wherein a pair of first free rollers include one side that is respectively declined toward a center of the opening.

12. The position aligning apparatus of the vehicle of claim 9, wherein the actuator is installed at one side of the slider on the base frame and is made of an electric cylinder having an operation rod connected to the slider through a connecting portion to move the slider in a right/left direction.

13. An inspection method of a vehicle, comprising:

(a) entering an inspection vehicle into a vehicle inspection line;

(b) connecting a vehicle information device to the vehicle and receiving vehicle information;

(c) selecting an inspection program according to the information obtained from the information receiving process;

(d) target-positioning the vehicle to an inspection position to perform the inspection according to the selected program;

(e) inspecting the vehicle through the inspection program if the vehicle is positioned at the target position;

(f) separating the vehicle information device if the inspection process is completed and relieving the operation of the position aligning apparatus of the vehicle; and

(g) discharging the vehicle outside the vehicle inspection line,

wherein in the process (d);

a position aligning apparatus of the vehicle includes;

a front aligning unit regulating a front movement of the vehicle having entered into the vehicle inspection line and aligning a front right/left position of the vehicle to a predetermined position while pressing a front wheel of the vehicle in a right/left direction according to operation of a first actuator, wherein a slider of the front aligning unit aligns the right and left position of the vehicle while selectively pressing an outside or an inside of the front wheel of the vehicle;

a rear aligning unit aligning a rear right/left position of the vehicle to a predetermined position while pressing a rear wheel of the vehicle in the right/left direction according to operation of a second actuator, wherein a second slider of the rear aligning unit aligns the right and left position of the vehicle while selectively pressing the outside or the inside of the rear wheel of the vehicle; and

a controller controlling the operation of the first and second actuators.