Test Fixture

• US 20100126262A1
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Czoka, Jeff Alan, Stubblefield, Tom Edward
• Granted Patent: US 7,921,713 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/117.30
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/04 Suspension or damping

Abstract

A test fixture for testing a motor vehicle suspension, brake components and wheel components on a motor vehicle sub-frame is provided. The test fixture can include a lower frame attached to a base surface and be dimensioned for the motor vehicle sub-frame to be attached thereto. An upper frame oppositely disposed to the lower frame and dimensioned to attach to the sub-frame is also included. A shaker system is attached to the base surface and is operable to provide a predetermined vertical displacement profile to the sub-frame. A motor is attached to an axle assembly on the sub-frame and is operable to rotate a wheel component at a predetermined rate of rotation. A non-contact gap sensor is included and can be attached to the sub-frame and detect or monitor movement between a first sub-frame component and a second sub-frame component.

Claims

1. A test fixture for testing a motor vehicle suspension, brake components and wheel components on a motor vehicle sub-frame, said test fixture comprising:

a base surface;

a lower frame attached to said base surface and dimensioned for the sub-frame to attach thereto;

an upper frame oppositely disposed to said lower frame and dimensioned to attach to the sub-frame;

said lower frame and said upper frame operable to hold the sub-frame above said base surface and allow changes in alignment of the wheel components on the sub-frame;

a shaker system attached to said base surface and dimensioned to attach to the sub-frame, the shaker system operable to provide a predetermined vertical displacement profile to the sub-frame;

a motor attached to an axle assembly on the sub-frame and operable to rotate a rotor at a predetermined rate of rotation;

a non-contact gap sensor, said non-contact sensor operable to attach to the sub-frame and detect movement between a first sub-frame component and a second sub-frame component of the sub-frame.

2. The test fixture of claim 1, further comprising a shaker rod extending from said shaker system and dimensioned to attach to a lower side of the sub-frame.

3. The test fixture of claim 2, wherein said shaker rod has a pair of opposing ends, each of said opposing ends having a heim joint for attaching said shaker rod to said shaker system and the lower side of the sub-frame.

4. The test fixture of claim 1, wherein said non-contact gap sensor is located on an inboard side of said axle assembly.

5. The test fixture of claim 4, wherein said first sub-frame component and said second sub-frame component are selected from the group consisting of a brake housing, a rotor, a leading inboard caliper, a leading inboard brake pad, a trailing inboard brake pad and a trailing inboard caliper.

6. The test fixture of claim 1, wherein said non-contact gap sensor is located on an outboard side of said axle assembly.

7. The test fixture of claim 6, wherein said first sub-frame component and said second sub-frame component are selected from the group consisting of a brake housing, a rotor, a leading outboard brake pad and a trailing outboard brake pad.

8. A process for testing a motor vehicle suspension, brake components and wheel components on a motor vehicle sub-frame, the process comprising:

providing a lower frame attached to a base surface, the lower frame dimensioned for a lower side of the sub-frame to be attached thereto;

attaching the sub-frame to the lower frame;

providing an upper frame oppositely disposed to the lower frame, the upper frame dimensioned to attach to an upper side of the sub-frame;

attaching the upper frame to the sub-frame;

providing a shaker system operable to provide a predetermined vertical displacement profile to the sub-frame;

attaching the shaker system to the base surface and the sub-frame;

providing a motor operable to rotate an axle assembly on the sub-frame at a predetermined rate of rotation to the wheel rotor;

attaching the motor to the wheel rotor on the sub-frame;

providing a non-contact gap sensor operable to detect movement between a first sub-frame component and a second sub-frame component;

attaching the non-contact gap sensor to the sub-frame;

applying the vertical displacement profile to the sub-frame using the shaker system; and

detecting the movement between the first sub-frame component and the second sub-frame component using the non-contact gap sensor.

9. The process of claim 8, further including applying rotation to the axle assembly using the motor.

10. The process of claim 9, further including providing a steering unit attached to the sub-frame and operable to turn the wheel rotor.

11. The process of claim 9, further including a shaker rod attached to and extending between the shaker system and the sub-frame.

12. The process of claim 11, further including the shaker rod having two opposed ends, each opposed end having a heim joint for attaching the shaker rod to the shaker system and the sub-frame.

13. The process of claim 9, wherein the non-contact gap sensor is located on an inboard side of the axle assembly.

14. The process of claim 13, wherein the first sub-frame component and the second sub-frame component are selected from the group consisting of a brake housing, a rotor, a leading inboard caliper, a leading inboard brake pad, a trailing inboard brake pad and a trailing inboard caliper.

15. The process of claim 9, wherein the non-contact gap sensor is located on an outboard side of the axle assembly.

16. The process of claim 15, wherein the first sub-frame component and the second sub-frame component are selected from the group consisting of a brake housing, a rotor, a leading outboard brake pad and a trailing outboard brake pad.

17. The process of claim 9, further including changing an alignment of the wheel components on the sub-frame and then detecting the movement between the first sub-frame component and the second sub-frame component using the non-contact gap sensor.

18. The process of claim 17, wherein the changing the alignment of the wheel components includes changing the camber of the wheel components.

19. The process of claim 17, wherein the changing the alignment of the wheel components includes changing the caster of the wheel components.

20. The process of claim 17, wherein the changing the alignment of the wheel components includes changing the toe of the wheel components.

21. A test fixture assembly for testing a motor vehicle suspension, brake components and wheel components on a motor vehicle sub-frame, said test fixture assembly comprising:

a lower frame attached to a base surface;

a sub-frame attached to said lower frame, said sub-frame having an axle assembly attached thereto;

an upper frame oppositely disposed from said lower frame and attached to said sub-frame, said upper frame having a spring member operable to adjust a ride height on said sub-frame;

a shaker system located below and attached to said base surface and said sub-frame, said shaker system operable to shake said sub-frame at a predetermined frequency and magnitude;

a motor attached to said wheel rotor and operable to rotate said wheel rotor at a predetermined rotation rate; and

at least one non-contact gap sensor attached to said sub-frame and operable to detect movement between said motor vehicle suspension, brake components and wheel components on said sub-frame.

22. The test fixture assembly of claim 21, wherein said non-contact gap sensor is located on an inboard side of said axle assembly.

23. The test fixture assembly of claim 22, wherein said first sub-frame component and said second sub-frame component are selected from the group consisting of a brake housing, a rotor, a leading inboard caliper, a leading inboard brake pad, a trailing inboard brake pad and a trailing inboard caliper.

24. The test fixture assembly of claim 21, wherein said non-contact gap sensor is located on an outboard side of said axle assembly.

25. The test fixture assembly of claim 24, wherein said first sub-frame component and said second sub-frame component are selected from the group consisting of a brake housing, a rotor, a leading outboard brake pad and a trailing outboard brake pad.