JP2007078478A - Wheel alignment measuring method and measuring instrument thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wheel alignment measuring method capable of obtaining accurate alignment information suitable for measuring and regulating the toe angle, for example, for a front wheel, and matches actual alignment conditions by measuring alignment based on hysteresis information by the steering mechanism of a vehicle, capable of reducing the dispersion of measured values, and capable of improving the reproducibility of the measured values, and to provide a measuring instrument thereof. <P>SOLUTION: The wheel 21 is mounted on a plurality of rollers 20, turnable in parallel to a horizontal face. This alignment measuring method measures the alignment of the wheel 20. A steering wheel 28, linked with the wheel 20, is turned by a prescribed angle, based on the hysteresis position information of the steering mechanism thereof. The alignment is measured at a turning position of the steering wheel 28 turned by the prescribed angle. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention is suitable for, for example, the measurement and adjustment of the toe angle of a front wheel, and can measure alignment based on hysteresis information by a steering mechanism of a vehicle to obtain accurate alignment information that matches an actual alignment state and has a simple configuration. The present invention relates to a wheel alignment measurement method and a measurement apparatus thereof that can reduce variations in measurement values and improve reproducibility of measurement values.

  As a conventional wheel alignment measuring method or measuring device, four platforms are arranged on the work floor, and a pair of rollers is provided on the platform to rotatably support the wheels. A tester is installed, and three distance sensors capable of transmitting laser beams or ultrasonic waves are arranged at equiangular positions on each alignment tester and pressed against the side of the wheel that has entered the roller. After pressing the roller and aligning the wheel to the alignment tester, rotate each roller to rotate the wheel and apply laser beam or ultrasonic waves from the distance sensor to the side of the wheel. There is one that measures the distance between the distance sensor and the side surface of the wheel and calculates the wheel toe value and camber value based on the distance signal (for example, see Patent Document 1). .

However, this measuring method has a problem that the reproducibility of the measured value cannot be obtained because the distance is immediately measured by the alignment tester after the wheel is directly opposed to the alignment tester.
This is considered to be caused by the alignment measurement without considering the influence on the measurement value due to hysteresis and backlash in the steering mechanism of the vehicle.
In other words, in order to improve the steering stability against kickback from the road surface, the steering mechanism of the vehicle is usually provided with hysteresis, and this hysteresis and backlash are thought to affect the alignment measurement values. Consideration for is essential to the reproducibility of the measured values,

  In addition, as an alignment adjustment method, the toe adjustment amount is measured by an alignment tester, and the angle of the steering wheel with respect to the neutral position of the steering wheel is measured by a spoke angle measuring device. From the relationship between the amount of spoke angle displacement and the amount of toe adjustment, the amount of tone fine adjustment that makes the angle with respect to the neutral position of the spoke zero is determined, and this amount of toe adjustment is determined by the above-mentioned tone adjustment. There is a method of correcting the amount and adjusting the tone based on the correction value (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

  However, since the adjustment method is adjusted based on the toe adjustment amount measured without removing the effects of the hysteresis and backlash of the steering mechanism described above, the toe adjustment amount is not reproducible and the toe adjustment is performed. There is a problem that the accuracy of the toe adjustment cannot be obtained due to lack of accuracy in the amount.

  On the other hand, in order to improve the reliability of the adjustment of the toe angle, it is necessary to adjust the neutral position of the steering wheel and the straight running direction of the wheel. Attach the spoke angle sensor, attach the toe angle sensor to the wheel, memorize these sensor signals, turn the steering wheel to the right or left beyond its play angle, and then turn the steering wheel To the opposite direction to the above, measure the angle of play of the steering wheel, calculate the toe angle correction value using this angle of play, and adjust the toe angle by this correction value (For example, refer to Patent Document 3).

  However, the measurement of the toe angle by the toe angle sensor in the above adjustment method measures the tilt angle by pressing the pad against both sides of the wheel without considering the hysteresis and backlash of the steering mechanism. -The angle includes the effects of hysteresis and backlash of the steering mechanism, so the measured value of the toe angle is not reproducible, and the correction value and the adjustment of the toe angle based on this toe angle are reliable. There was a problem that it was not possible.

  In the above adjustment method, the play angle of the steering wheel is measured, and the correction value of the toe angle is calculated based on this play angle. The adjustment method by play limits the number of vehicles that can be used, and the reproducibility of the toe angle measurement value is generally more influenced by the hysteresis of the steering mechanism than the play. There was a limit.

JP 2000-121504 A Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 7-121708 JP-A-9-240506

  The present invention solves such a problem, and is suitable for, for example, the measurement and adjustment of the toe angle of the front wheel. The alignment measurement is performed based on the hysteresis information by the steering mechanism of the vehicle, and accurate alignment information that matches the actual alignment state is obtained. It is an object of the present invention to provide a wheel alignment measurement method and a measurement apparatus therefor that can be obtained, reduce variation in measurement values with a simple configuration, and improve reproducibility of measurement values.

The invention according to claim 1 is a wheel alignment measuring method in which wheels are placed on a plurality of rollers that can be rotated in parallel with a horizontal plane, and the alignment of the wheels is measured. The steering wheel is rotated at a predetermined angle based on the hysteresis position information of the steering mechanism, the alignment measurement is performed at the predetermined angular rotation position of the steering wheel, and accurate alignment information that matches the actual alignment state can be obtained. The simple configuration reduces the variation in the measured value and improves the reproducibility of the measured value.
In the invention of claim 2, the steering wheel is rotated by a predetermined angle in one direction on the basis of hysteresis position information of the steering mechanism, and then rotated by a predetermined angle in the other direction to measure the alignment. The variation is reduced and the reproducibility of the measurement value is improved, and the convenience of alignment adjustment is also achieved.

According to a third aspect of the invention, the steering wheel is rotated to the steering angle zero position to measure the alignment, thereby reducing variation in the measured value and improving the reproducibility of the measured value. The wheel or wheel is set to a straight running state so that alignment measurement and subsequent adjustment can be performed easily and rationally.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the steering wheel can be rotated easily and quickly compared to an alignment measurement method in which the steering wheel is rotated by power or human power and the roller is rotated in parallel with a horizontal plane. .

  The invention according to claim 5 is the wheel alignment measuring apparatus in which a plurality of rollers on which wheels can be placed are provided so as to be rotatable in parallel with a horizontal plane. It can be pivoted to the position corresponding to the hysteresis of the steering mechanism via human power, and the alignment can be measured at the pivot position of the steering wheel, so that accurate alignment information that matches the actual alignment state can be obtained. The simple configuration reduces the variation in measured values, improves the reproducibility of measured values, and is smaller, lighter and easier to manufacture than the alignment measuring device that rotates the roller parallel to the horizontal plane. I can do it.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, a drive roller capable of forward / reverse rotation is disposed on the steering wheel so as to be engageable with the steering wheel, and the steering wheel is positioned via the drive roller at a position corresponding to the hysteresis of the steering mechanism. The steering wheel can be rotated without bothering the operator to facilitate automation of alignment measurement.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the steering wheel linked to the wheel is rotated by a predetermined angle based on the hysteresis position information of the steering mechanism, and alignment measurement is performed at the predetermined angular rotation position of the steering wheel. Accurate alignment information that matches the actual alignment state can be obtained, and variations in measured values can be reduced with a simple configuration, thereby improving the reproducibility of measured values.
In the invention of claim 2, the steering wheel is rotated by a predetermined angle in one direction based on hysteresis position information of the steering mechanism, and then rotated by a predetermined angle in the other direction to measure alignment. In addition, it is possible to improve the reproducibility of measured values and the convenience of alignment adjustment.

According to the invention of claim 3, since the steering wheel is rotated to the steering angle zero position and the alignment is measured, it is possible to reduce the variation of the measured value and improve the reproducibility of the measured value, and to improve the reproducibility of the measured value. -It is possible to easily and rationally perform alignment measurement and subsequent adjustment by setting the wheel or wheel to a straight traveling state.
According to the invention of claim 4, since the steering wheel is rotated by power or human power, it can be carried out easily and quickly as compared with the alignment measuring method in which the roller is rotated in parallel with the horizontal plane.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a steering wheel linked to a wheel is rotatably provided at a position corresponding to the hysteresis of the steering mechanism via power or human power, and alignment is performed at the rotational position of the steering wheel. Since measurement is possible, accurate alignment information that matches the actual alignment state can be obtained, variation in measurement values can be reduced with a simple configuration, and the reproducibility of measurement values can be improved. Compared to an alignment measurement device that rotates parallel to the horizontal plane, it is small, lightweight, and can be manufactured easily and inexpensively.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, a drive roller capable of forward / reverse rotation is disposed on the steering wheel so as to be engageable with the steering wheel, and the steering wheel is positioned via the drive roller at a position corresponding to the hysteresis of the steering mechanism. Therefore, the steering wheel can be rotated without bothering people and automation of alignment measurement can be promoted.

  DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A description will now be given of an illustrated embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a wheel toe measuring method and a measuring device thereof. In FIGS. A plurality of alignment measuring devices 3 to 6 are installed in the pit 2.

  The alignment measuring devices 3 to 6 are configured substantially the same, and the measuring devices 3 to 6 are arranged on the front and rear and left and right along the approaching direction of the vehicle to be tested as indicated by the arrows in FIG. A stand 7 erected on the bottom of the machine frame 8, a machine frame 8 installed on the stand 7, a work table 9 installed on the upper end of the machine frame 8, and a frame not shown on the table 9. An adjustment table 10 rotatably supported via a ruler (steel ball);

A support shaft 11 is provided on the lower surface of the adjustment table 10 so as to pass through the work table 9, and the support shaft 11 is linked to the rotation driving means. The electromagnetic clutch mounted on the support shaft 11. Through the operation of 12, the rotational driving force can be interrupted, and the operation of the adjustment table 10 can be restricted by a lock operation of a lock cylinder (not shown).
That is, the lock cylinder is locked when the vehicle enters and leaves and when the alignment of each wheel is adjusted, so that each adjustment table 10 can be restrained to a fixed position, while the alignment of each wheel is measured when the vehicle is centered. Sometimes, the lock operation of the lock cylinder is released, and each adjustment table 10 is made swingable.

The upper end portion of the support shaft 11 is connected to the adjustment table 10, and the peripheral surface of the upper end portion of the support shaft 11 is rotatably supported via the ball (steel ball).
A guide rail 13 is fixed to the adjustment table 10, and a slide guide 14 is slidably fitted to the guide rail 13. The slide guide 14 is fixed to the lower surface of the first movable table 15, and the guide rail 16 is fixed to the upper surface thereof.
The guide rail 16 is disposed orthogonally to the guide rail 13, and a slide guide 17 is slidably fitted to the guide rail 16. The slide guide 17 is fixed to the lower surface of the second movable table 18, and a pair of left and right roller frames 19 are fixed to the slide guide 17.

The roller frames 19, 19 are rotatable in a plane parallel to the horizontal plane, the rotation center thereof is disposed at a position coaxial with the support shaft 11, and a pair of rollers is provided at the upper end portion thereof. 20 is rotatably supported.
The front and rear wheels 21 and 22 of the vehicle are rotatably supported on the rollers 20 and 20, and a drive motor is incorporated in one of the rollers 20 and the operation of the motor will be described later. It is controlled by the control device.

  A roller 23 is rotatably supported on an upper end portion on one side of the roller frame 19, and is disposed so as to be engageable with side surfaces of the front and rear wheels 21 and 22. A pressing roller disposed close to and engageable with the other side surface is enabled when the front and rear wheels 21 and 22 are centered, and the operation is controlled by a control device described later.

  In the figure, reference numeral 25 denotes an engagement roller disposed at a position close to the roller 20, and it is possible to prevent the front and rear wheels 21 and 22 from escaping during rotation, and 26 denotes the outside of the alignment measuring devices 3 to 6. In the case of the embodiment, the ultrasonic sensor 27 as a distance measuring means is arranged at an equiangular position, and emits ultrasonic waves from the sensor 27 toward the side surfaces of the front and rear wheels 21 and 22. The distance signal can be input to a control device described later.

In the figure, 28 is a steering wheel of a vehicle to be tested, and a steering inclination angle detection jig 31 is attached to a T-shaped spoke 29 via fixtures 30 and 30 during alignment measurement.
Among these, one fixing tool 30 is movably connected to the outside through the extension rods 32 and 32, and a set spring 33 is inserted into the rods 32 and 32, and attached to the outside through the elasticity of the spring 33. The steering wheel 28 is pressed.
In the figure, 34 is a steering inclination angle detection sensor provided on the jig 31, and the detection signal can be input to a control device 35 such as a microcomputer wirelessly or by wire.

On the other hand, an automatic steering jig 37 is attached between the front seat 36 and the steering wheel 28 during alignment measurement.
The automatic steering jig 37 includes a mounting step 38 having a substantially L-shaped cross section that can be engaged with the front end portion of the front seat sheet 36, and a pair of support rods 39 project obliquely upward. Has been.
The support rod 39 is provided with a pair of spring receivers 40, 41, one of which is fixed to the base side of the support rod 39, and the other spring receiver 41 is slidably attached to the support rod 39. ing.

The other spring receivers 41, 41 are connected by a connecting plate 42, a drive motor 43 is installed inside the connecting plate 42, and a support frame 44 is fixed to the outside of the connecting plate 42.
A bracket 45 protrudes forward from the support frame 44, and a drive roller 46 is rotatably supported by the bracket 45. The drive roller 46 is rotatably driven in conjunction with the drive motor 43, and a peripheral groove on the outer peripheral portion thereof is disposed so as to be engageable with the peripheral surface of the rim 28a of the steering wheel 28.

  Support arms 47 are provided obliquely inwardly at both ends of the support frame 44, and guide rollers 49 are rotatably supported at the front ends of the support arms 47 via brackets 48. It arrange | positions so that engagement to the peripheral surface of the rim | limb 28a of the lure 28 is possible.

  In the figure, reference numeral 50 denotes a spring interposed between the spring receivers 40 and 41, and urges the spring receiver 41, the support frame 44 and the support arm 47 forward through its elasticity. 51 is a tubular collar inserted into the front portion of the support rod 39, one end of which engages with the connecting plate 42, and a nut 52 is screwed into the other end of the screw shaft so that the connecting plate 42 on the support rod 39 is The position can be adjusted, and the support frame 44 or the support arm 47 can be moved to this position.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the control device 35 includes an operation control signal for the drive motor 43, a detection angle signal from the steering tilt angle detection sensor 34, and a motor for driving the roller 20. In addition, hysteresis position information relating to the front and rear wheels 21 and 22 of the vehicle under test, the front wheels 21 in the embodiment, that is, setting rotation angle information of the roller frame 19 and the trajectory. Alignment calculation information such as values is stored, and alignment measurement can be executed based on these information.

The hysteresis position information is configured based on experimental data relating to the hysteresis positions of the wheels of various types of vehicles to be tested. The experimental data indicates the hysteresis positions of the wheels of the various types of vehicles on the horizontal plane and the rotation angle. And the set rotation angle for the roller frame 19 is set to be equal to or greater than the rotation angle of the experimental data.
In the embodiment, the set rotation angle is set to 5 ° to 10 °, the roller frame 19 or the front wheel 21 is rotated by the set angle, and the hysteresis position of the wheel of the test vehicle is set as the hysteresis position of the information. It can be formed at the same position.

In this case, there is no priority in the direction of rotation of the steering wheel 28, and it is only necessary to rotate backward in either direction and then reversely rotate in the opposite direction. The steering wheel 28 is not restrained by the straight position.
However, if the front wheel 21 is returned to the steering tilt angle 0 ° position, the alignment adjustment after the alignment measurement can be performed quickly.

  Instead of forming the hysteresis position of the wheel of the vehicle to be tested at the same position as the hysteresis position information, if the hysteresis is small, it can be formed at an intermediate position of the hysteresis, for example, an angle corresponding to 1/2. By doing so, the hysteresis can be formed reasonably and promptly.

  The steering wheel 28 is appropriately fixed by means at the time of alignment measurement so as to restrain the directions or standing postures of the wheels 21 and 22. As this restraining means, for example, a stage 54 at one end of the telescopic rod 53 is hooked on the rim 28a of the steering wheel 28, and the other end is engaged with the ceiling 55 of the passenger compartment.

In the wheel alignment measurement method of the present invention, the vehicle to be tested enters the test site, the front wheels 21 are put on the rollers 20 on the respective roller frames 19, and the front wheels 21 are aligned with the alignment testers 3 to 3. 6 is performed in accordance with the procedure shown in FIG.
First, the steering inclination angle detection jig 31 is attached to the steering wheel 28, the steering inclination angle at the time of attachment is detected by the steering inclination angle detection sensor 34, and the detection signal is input to the control device 35 wirelessly or by wire.

Next, the drive motor 43 of the steering automatic steering jig 31 is driven, the steering wheel 28 is rotated by a set angle based on the set rotation angle information of the hysteresis position information, and the same position as the hysteresis position in the hysteresis position information. The hysteresis of the front wheel 21 is formed.
In the embodiment, the steering wheel 28 is rotated 5 ° to 10 ° equal to or more than the set rotation angle.

  After the hysteresis of the front wheel 21 is formed, the drive motor 43 is driven in reverse, the drive roller 46 is driven thereby to reverse the steering wheel 28, and the steering tilt angle is 0 °, that is, the front wheel 21 is driven. It is positioned in the straight direction or set inclination angle.

  Thereafter, one of the rollers 20 is driven, the front wheel 21 is rotated, the alignment tester 26 is operated, ultrasonic waves are emitted from the ultrasonic sensor 27 toward the side surface of the front wheel 21, and the distance signal is controlled. The data is input to the device 35 and the data is calculated to obtain a predetermined alignment value.

  The wheel alignment measuring apparatus configured as described above is roughly divided into a steering inclination angle detecting jig 31 attached to the steering wheel 28 and a steering automatic steering jig 37 for rotating the steering wheel 28 by a predetermined angle. However, since these are relatively simple in construction, they can be manufactured easily and inexpensively.

Next, when measuring the wheel alignment of the vehicle under test using the device of the present invention, the hysteresis position information relating to the front wheels 21 of the vehicle under test, that is, the set rotation angle information of the steering wheel 28 is previously obtained. Input to the control device 35.
The hysteresis position information is created based on experimental data relating to the hysteresis positions of the wheels of various types of test vehicles. The information specifies the rotation direction of the wheels on the measurement plane, and the rotation of the wheels. It consists of an angle.

  The set rotation angle is set to be equal to or greater than the rotation angle of the experimental data. In the embodiment, the set rotation angle is set to 5 ° to 10 °, and the steering wheel 28 or the front wheel 21 is rotated by the same angle. The hysteresis position of the front wheel 21 of the test vehicle can be reliably formed at the same position as the information.

In this case, the rotation direction of the steering wheel 28 or the front wheel 21 may be either the left or right direction, and the steering wheel 28 is rotated by a set rotation angle in either direction and then moved backward in the opposite direction. The return position is not necessarily restricted by the steering inclination angle 0 ° position, that is, the straight movement position of the steering wheel 28.
However, by returning the front and rear wheels 34 and 35 to the steering tilt angle 0 ° position, alignment adjustment can be performed quickly after the alignment measurement.

  Instead of forming the hysteresis position of the wheel of the vehicle to be tested at the same position as the hysteresis position information, if the hysteresis is small, it can be formed at an intermediate position of the hysteresis, for example, an angle corresponding to 1/2. By doing so, the hysteresis can be formed reasonably and promptly.

  Therefore, when actually measuring the alignment, the lock cylinder (not shown) is locked, each adjustment table 10 and the roller frame 19 are restrained at fixed positions, and the test vehicle enters the test site. Then, the front and rear wheels 21 and 22 are put on the respective rollers 20, and are made to face the alignment testers 3 to 6 substantially, and then the procedure shown in FIG. 6 is performed.

First, the steering tilt angle detection jig 43 is attached to the steering wheel 28.
The jig 43 is attached by holding the fixtures 30 and 30 on the rim 28a of the steering wheel 28, urging one of the fixtures 30 outwardly through the elasticity of the spring 33, and pressing the fixture 30 against the rim 28a. Do.

  After the steering tilt angle detection jig 43 is attached, the steering tilt angle is detected by the steering tilt angle detection sensor 34 and the detection signal is input to the control device 35 wirelessly or by wire. Based on the detection signal of the detection sensor 34, the suitability of the front and rear wheels 21 and 22 on the rollers 20 and 20 is confirmed.

After the detection jig 43 is attached, the steering automatic steering device 37 is attached.
The steering device 37 is attached by pressing the attachment stage 38 against the front end portion of the front seat 36 and the support frame 44 and the support rod 47 against the elasticity of the spring 50 toward the attachment stage 38 side. Push back.
Then, the circumferential grooves of the drive roller 46 and the guide roller 49 are engaged with the outer surface of the rim 28 a of the steering wheel 28, and the circumferential groove is pressed against the outer surface of the rim 28 a by the elasticity of the spring 50.

Thereafter, the lock operation of the lock cylinder (not shown) is released, and each adjustment table 10 and the roller frame 19 are set to be swingable. Then, the drive motor 43 of the automatic steering device 37 is started, and the drive roller 46 linked thereto is driven to rotate.
For this reason, the steering wheel 28 rotates in the opposite direction to the drive roller 46 due to friction between the drive roller 46 and the rim 28a, and the guide roller 49 is driven by this, and the steering wheel is driven. 28 rotates stably.

Thus, when the steering wheel 28 is rotated, the rotational displacement is transmitted to the steering mechanism, the front axle (not shown) linked to the steering mechanism is displaced by the angle, and the front wheel 21 is moved together. .
Thereafter, when the drive motor 43 is rotated by a predetermined angle and the steering wheel 28 is rotated by the set rotation angle of the hysteresis information, the front wheel 21 is displaced by a predetermined angle through the steering mechanism as described above. In the embodiment, the steering wheel 28 is rotated 5 ° to 10 °, and the hysteresis of the front wheel 21 is formed at the same position as the information.

After the hysteresis of the front wheel 21 is formed, the drive motor 43 is driven in reverse, the drive roller 46 is driven in reverse, the steering wheel 28 is rotated in reverse, and the front wheel 21 is angled in the reverse direction via the steering mechanism. Displace.
In the embodiment, the steering wheel 28 is rotated in the steering inclination angle of 0 °, that is, in the straight traveling direction of the front wheel 21 to remove the hysteresis, or is rotated in the opposite direction to the set inclination angle position.

  In this way, the steering wheel 28 is rotated in one direction, the hysteresis is moved to one side in the hysteresis loop of FIG. In other words, if the front wheel 21 is returned to the position in the straight traveling direction, the subsequent alignment measurement can be easily performed, and the subsequent alignment adjustment can be performed safely and stably.

Thereafter, one end of the telescopic rod 49 is hooked on the steering wheel 41, the other end is engaged with the ceiling 50 of the passenger compartment, the steering wheel 41 is fixed, and the front and rear wheels 34, 35 are displaced. Is restrained.
Then, one of the rollers 20 is driven, the front wheel 21 is rotated, the alignment testers 3 and 4 are operated, ultrasonic waves are emitted from the ultrasonic sensor 27 toward the side surface of the front wheel 21, and the distance signal is obtained. The data is input to the control device 35 and the data is calculated to obtain a predetermined alignment value.

  In the embodiment, the steering wheel 28 is rotated by a set rotation angle of hysteresis information, for example, leftward by the steering automatic steering device 37, and then returned to the steering inclination angle 0 °, and the toe angle of the front wheel 21 is measured. Thereafter, the steering wheel 28 was rotated to the right and returned to the steering inclination angle of 0 °, and the toe angle of the front wheel 21 was measured.

In this case, it is also possible to measure the alignment in the hysteresis formation state, that is, the maximum steering tilt angle position without returning the front wheels 21 to the steering tilt angle of 0 °.
In this case, as shown in FIG. 8, the maximum steering tilt angle position is slightly larger than the tilt angle of 0 °, but the difference is very small. Does not interfere with reproducibility.

  The inventor conducted the following effect experiment in order to confirm the effect of the measurement method. That is, with respect to the four types of test vehicles, the left and right wheels of the front wheel 21 are placed on the rollers 20, 20, and the steering wheel 28 is moved about 90 to the left and / or right through the steering automatic steering device 37. After turning, the toe value was measured by moving backward and turning toward the center of the steering tilt angle of 0 °.

  On the other hand, when the toe value was measured by a conventional measurement method that does not consider the influence of hysteresis or the like, and these toe values were compared, the standard deviation (3σ) of the toe value by the measurement method of the present invention was the conventional value. Compared to the standard deviation of the toe value according to the measurement method, it was confirmed that the measurement values of the left and right wheels were very small and stable, and the reproducibility of the measurement value was improved. .

In this experiment, after turning the steering wheel 28 in the left direction, the toe value measured by returning the tilt angle to 0 ° and the tilt angle after turning the steering wheel 28 in the right direction. There is some variation with the toe value measured back to 0 °, but it seems to be within an acceptable range with a standard deviation of 0.1 to 0.4.
Furthermore, it was confirmed that the tendency of the measured values of the left and right wheels of the front wheel 21 according to the measuring method of the present invention, that is, the magnitude relationship between the measured values of the left and right wheels, appears in the same degree as the tendency of the conventional measuring method.

As described above, according to the present invention, the steering wheel 28 is rotated leftward by the automatic steering device 37 based on the hysteresis information of the steering mechanism of the vehicle to be tested. In order to measure the alignment by forming a hysteresis at the same position as the above information, compared with the conventional alignment measurement method that abandons the influence of the hysteresis on the alignment measurement value, it matches the actual wheel alignment state. And accurate alignment information can be obtained.
In addition, the variation in the measured value is reduced and the reproducibility is obtained by the hysteresis that matches the actual condition of the vehicle, so that the reliability of the measured value is improved and the reliability of the alignment adjustment based on the measured value can be obtained.

  Further, the automatic steering device 37 used in the measurement method of the present invention is portable, compact and inexpensive, and has a practical advantage because the measurement method is easy.

9 to 11 show another embodiment of the present invention, and the same reference numerals are used for portions corresponding to the above-described configuration.
In this embodiment, instead of rotating the steering wheel 28 by the automatic steering device 37, the operator gets into the vehicle and rotates it manually.
The alignment measurement procedure in this case is as shown in FIG. 11, and the steering wheel 28 is turned left and right by a predetermined angle, in the embodiment, 5 °, and the steering angle and the torque value of the front wheel 21 at that time are measured. They are sampled to obtain a hysteresis loop as shown in FIG.

Next, the hysteresis width Wh is calculated from the hysteresis loop, the steering wheel 28 is set to the left inclination angle width Wh / 2 from one side (right side), the steering angle is set to 0 °, and FIG. Similarly, the steering wheel 28 is fixed and the alignment is measured.
Thus, by performing the alignment measurement at 1/2 position of the hysteresis width Wh of the steering wheel 28, the influence of the hysteresis is reduced, the variation of the alignment measurement value is reduced, and the reproducibility is improved. I have to.

  As described above, the wheel alignment measuring method and the measuring apparatus according to the present invention measure the alignment based on the hysteresis information by the steering mechanism of the vehicle, and obtain accurate alignment information that matches the actual alignment state. Since the variation of the measured value can be reduced by the configuration and the reproducibility of the measured value can be improved, it is suitable for, for example, measuring and adjusting the toe angle of the front wheel.

It is a top view which shows embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which follows the AA line of FIG. It is sectional drawing which expands and shows the principal part of FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the main part of the present invention, in which a steering tilt angle detection jig is attached to the steering wheel, and an automatic steering jig is attached between the front seat and the steering wheel. Shows the situation. It is explanatory drawing which shows the outline | summary of the alignment measuring method by this invention. It is a front view which shows the attachment state of the applied steering inclination angle detection jig and an expansion-contraction rod.

It is a flowchart which shows the alignment measurement procedure by this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the fixed condition of the steering wheel at the time of the alignment measurement of this invention. It is a hysteresis characteristic curve which shows the hysteresis characteristic of the steering mechanism regarding the left and right front wheels.

It is a top view which shows the attachment condition of the steering inclination angle detection jig applied to other embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the outline | summary of the alignment measuring method by the said other embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the alignment measurement procedure by the said other embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

20 rollers 21 wheels (front wheels)
28 Steering wheel 46 Drive roller

Claims (6)

  In a wheel alignment measurement method in which wheels are placed on a plurality of rollers rotatable in parallel with a horizontal plane and the alignment of the wheels is measured, a steering wheel linked to the wheels is connected to the steering mechanism. A wheel alignment measurement method, wherein the wheel alignment is rotated at a predetermined angle based on hysteresis position information, and alignment is measured at a predetermined angle rotation position of the steering wheel.   The wheel alignment measuring method according to claim 1, wherein the steering wheel is rotated by a predetermined angle in one direction based on hysteresis position information of the steering mechanism and then rotated by a predetermined angle in the other direction to measure alignment. .   2. The wheel alignment measuring method according to claim 1, wherein the steering wheel is rotated to a steering angle zero position to measure alignment.   2. The wheel alignment measuring method according to claim 1, wherein the steering wheel is rotated by power or human power.   In a wheel alignment measuring apparatus in which a plurality of rollers on which wheels can be placed are provided so as to be rotatable in parallel with a horizontal plane, a steering wheel linked to the wheels is driven by power or human power. A wheel alignment measuring device provided at a position corresponding to the hysteresis of the mechanism so as to be rotatable, and capable of measuring an alignment at the rotating position of the steering wheel. A drive roller capable of forward / reverse rotation is arranged to be engageable with the steering wheel, and the steering wheel is rotatably provided at a position corresponding to the hysteresis of the steering mechanism via the drive roller. The wheel alignment measuring device according to claim 5.

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