Test fixture

• US 7,921,713 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Czoka, Jeff Alan, Stubblefield, Tom Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Kirkland, III; Freddie
• Application Number:
  US12/276,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20100126262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 731/170.3, 736/69, 73/110.5, 73/110.7, 73/110.8, 73/110.4
• US Class Current: 73/117.03
• 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;

an upper frame oppositely disposed to said lower frame;

a sub-frame attached between said lower frame and said upper frame;

said lower frame and said upper frame holding said sub-frame above said base surface;

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

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

a non-contact gap sensor attached to said sub-frame, said non-contact gap sensor operable to and detect movement between a first sub-frame component and a second sub-frame component of said sub-frame when said shaker system provides the predetermined vertical displacement to said sub-frame.

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

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

5. The test fixture of claim 1 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, a trailing inboard caliper, a leading outboard caliper, a leading outboard brake pad, a trailing outboard brake pad and a trailing outboard caliper.

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

7. 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;

attaching a motor vehicle sub-frame to the lower frame;

providing an upper frame oppositely disposed to the lower frame;

attaching the upper frame to an upper side of 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 a wheel rotor of the sub-frame;

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

8. The process of claim 7, further including applying rotation to the axle assembly using the motor.

9. The process of claim 8, further including providing a steering unit attached to the sub-frame and operable to turn the wheel rotor.

10. The process of claim 8, further including a shaker rod attached to and extending between the shaker system and the sub-frame.

11. The process of claim 10, 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.

12. The process of claim 8, wherein the non-contact gap sensor is located on an inboard side of a brake housing.

13. The process of claim 8, 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, a trailing inboard caliper, a leading outboard caliper, a leading outboard brake pad, a trailing outboard brake pad and a trailing outboard caliper.

14. The process of claim 8, wherein the non-contact gap sensor is located on an outboard side of a brake housing.

15. The process of claim 8, 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.

16. The process of claim 15, wherein the changing the alignment of the wheel components includes changing a camber of the wheel components.

17. The process of claim 15, wherein the changing the alignment of the wheel components includes changing a caster of the wheel components.

18. The process of claim 15, wherein the changing the alignment of the wheel components includes changing a toe of the wheel components.