Method of measuring a propensity of a vehicle to roll over

• US 7,054,727 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2003
• Issued: 05/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Burke E Porter Machinery Company (The Burke Porter Group)
• Original Assignee: Burke E Porter Machinery Company (The Burke Porter Group)
• Inventors: Kemp, Kevin, Oral, Hamid Alper
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THANH T
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THANH T
• Application Number:
  US10/428,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20030230137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/1, 701/36, 701/37, 701/38, 701/69, 701/71, 701/82, 280/5.5, 280/5.504, 280/5.505, 280/5.506, 280/5.507, 280/5.513
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/007 Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles G01M17/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of replicating a real-world vehicle rollover of a vehicle having wheels utilizing a vehicle testing apparatus having a support. The method includes positioning the vehicle on the support. Static properties of the vehicle are then determined. An initial set of forces and moments to be applied to the support are determined based upon at least the static properties. The support is actuated based upon the initial set of forces and moments to replicate the vehicle rollover. An actual response of the vehicle to the initial actuating of the vehicle testing apparatus is measured to determine dynamic properties of the vehicle. So long as all of the wheels remained on the support during the actuating of the vehicle testing apparatus, sets of forces and moments are continuously determined. The vehicle testing apparatus can be repeatedly actuated based upon the sets of forces and moments to further replicate the vehicle rollover.

Claims

1. A method of replicating a real-world vehicle rollover of a vehicle having wheels utilizing a vehicle testing apparatus having a support wherein the vehicle rollover is defined by at least one of the wheels lifting off of the support, said method comprising the steps of:

positioning the vehicle on the vehicle testing apparatus such that each of the wheels of the vehicle are supported on the support;

determining static properties of the vehicle;

determining an initial set of forces and moments to be applied to the vehicle testing apparatus based upon the determined static properties;

actuating the vehicle testing apparatus based upon the initial set of forces and moments to replicate the vehicle rollover;

measuring an actual response of the vehicle to the initial actuating of the vehicle testing apparatus to determine dynamic properties of the vehicle;

determining a second set of forces and moments to be applied to the vehicle testing apparatus so long as all of the wheels remained on the support during the initial actuating of the vehicle testing apparatus with the second set of forces and moments based upon the determined initial set of forces and moments, the measured actual response of the vehicle to the initial actuating of the vehicle testing apparatus, and the determined dynamic properties of the vehicle; and

actuating the vehicle testing apparatus based upon the second set of forces and moments to further replicate the vehicle rollover.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 further including the step of measuring a second actual response of the vehicle to the second actuating of the vehicle testing apparatus to further determine the dynamic properties of the vehicle and the propensity of the vehicle to rollover.

3. A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the step of measuring the actual response of the vehicle is further defined as determining if at least one of the wheels lifted off of the support.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the support includes a plurality of contact surfaces and wherein the step of positioning the vehicle on the vehicle testing apparatus is further defined as positioning each wheel on a corresponding contact surface.

5. A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein the step of measuring the actual response of the vehicle is further defined as determining if at least one of the wheels is no longer positioned on the corresponding contact surface.

6. A method as set forth in claim 5 wherein the step of determining if at least one of the wheels is no longer positioned on the corresponding contact surface is further defined by sensing a weight of the wheels positioned on the corresponding contact surfaces.

7. A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein the step of determining the static properties of the vehicle is further defined as measuring a weight of the wheels positioned on each of the contact surfaces for determining a weight of the vehicle.

8. A method as set forth in claim 1 further including the step of determining if at least one of the wheels lifted off of the support.

9. A method as set forth in claim 1 further including the step of repeatedly determining sets of forces and moments to be applied to the vehicle testing apparatus so long as all of the wheels remain on the support.

10. A method as set forth in claim 9 further including the step of repeatedly actuating the vehicle testing apparatus based upon the repeatedly determined set of forces and moments until at least one wheel lifts off of the support to further replicate the vehicle rollover and to determine the propensity of the vehicle to rollover.

11. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of determining the static properties of the vehicle is further defined as moving the support into various static positions to determine the static properties of the vehicle.

12. A method as set forth in claim 1 further including a computer simulator program and wherein the step of determining the initial set of forces and moments is further defined as inputting the determined static properties into the computer simulator program.

13. A method as set forth in claim 1 further including a first axis (X) positioned in a horizontal plane relative to the vehicle testing apparatus and wherein the steps of actuating the vehicle testing apparatus are further defined as actuating the support along the first axis (X).

14. A method as set forth in claim 13 further including a second axis (Y) positioned in the horizontal plane relative to the vehicle testing apparatus and perpendicular to the first axis (X) and wherein the steps of actuating the vehicle testing apparatus are further defined as actuating the support along the second axis (Y).

15. A method as set forth in claim 14 wherein the steps of actuating the vehicle testing apparatus are further defined as simultaneously actuating the support along both the first axis (X) and the second axis (Y).

16. A method as set forth in claim 13 further including a third axis (Z) positioned perpendicular to the horizontal plane and wherein the steps of actuating the vehicle testing apparatus are further defined as simultaneously actuating the support along both the first axis (X) and the third axis (Z).

17. A method as set forth in claim 14 further including a third axis (Z) positioned perpendicular to the plane and wherein the steps of actuating the vehicle testing apparatus are further defined as simultaneously actuating the support along both the second axis (Y) and the third axis (Z).

18. A method as set forth in claim 15 further including a third axis (Z) positioned perpendicular to the plane and wherein the steps of actuating the vehicle testing apparatus are further defined as simultaneously actuating the support along the first axis (X), the second axis (Y), and the third axis (Z).

19. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the vehicle testing apparatus includes measurement devices and wherein the step of measuring the actual response of the vehicle is further defined as measuring the actual response of the vehicle with the measurement devices to determine the dynamic properties of the vehicle.

20. A method as set forth in claim 1 further including the step of determining dynamic properties of the vehicle.

21. A method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the step of determining the dynamic properties of the vehicle is further defined as moving the support to determine the dynamic properties of the vehicle.

22. A method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the vehicle testing apparatus includes measurement devices and wherein the step of determining the dynamic properties of the vehicle is further defined as determining the dynamic properties of the vehicle with the measurement devices.

23. A method as set forth in claim 1 further including a calculation algorithm and further including the step of inputting the determined initial set of forces and moments into the calculation algorithm before actuating the vehicle testing apparatus.

24. A method as set forth in claim 23 further including the step of converting the initial set of forces and moments into actuator signals.