JP2008151509A - Air floating device for vehicle inspection - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air floating device for vehicle inspection, which has a more simple structure and has an air floating function capable of corresponding to fine adjustment for various inspections, capable of easily operating and maintaining. <P>SOLUTION: An air floating device for vehicle inspection comprises: a base plate and an air floating table arranged thereon; and the floating table having a supporting means at the lower part, The table supporting means has an air bearing function for floating the floating table on the base plate and a sucking function for fixing the table on the base plate. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle inspection floating device for floating a table on which wheels (tires) are mounted in vehicle inspection devices such as a wheel alignment tester, a turning radius tester, and a side slip tester. More specifically, the present invention relates to an air floating device for vehicle inspection that performs floating by air.

  The inspection of the automobile includes an inspection after completion of the automobile on the production line, a periodic inspection during the life of the automobile, and an inspection after correction due to a malfunction (for example, failure, damage due to an accident, etc.). These inspections include, for example, a wheel alignment test (toe, camber, caster, and so on) that measures the mounting angle and arrangement of each wheel (tire) of the vehicle and adjusts them so that they are in the proper range. Kingpin tilt angle measurement), turning radius test of the left and right tires when the steering wheel is rotated to the maximum left and right, and turning radius test to adjust them so that they are in the proper range (by Ackermann, steering) Measure whether the amount of change in toe is in the proper range when you move left and right), mainly in periodic vehicle inspections, and place the vehicle on the tread (slip plate) placed symmetrically Measure the amount of treadle movement at that time, and adjust the side slip test so that it is in the proper range Tire measurement of or not the side-slip), and the like.

  In the vehicle inspection apparatus as described above, for inspection and adjustment, the table on which the vehicle wheel (tire) is placed floats smoothly as if it was placed on ice (front and rear, left and right, circular motion and a combination of these) Exercise). This is because automobile tires are attached to the body of the vehicle via flexible parts such as rubber bushes, so if the table does not float smoothly, it will be inspected in an arrangement where no external force will be exerted due to the effect. This is because problems such as inability to do so and poor reproducibility of the arrangement occur. In addition, even after the inspection, if the tire mounting angle is changed from that position in order to adjust the tire arrangement to an appropriate range based on the inspection result, the tire will be moved along with the movement of the tire placed on the table. This is because if the table does not float smoothly in the moving direction, the change due to the adjustment is not directly transmitted to the vehicle, and as a result, accurate adjustment is difficult to make.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a floating device 10 as shown in FIG. 8 incorporated in a wheel alignment inspection device. The floating device 10 includes a base plate 11, a front and rear floating plate 12 that moves in the front-rear direction, a left and right floating plate 13 that moves in the left-right direction, a roller plate 14 that moves in a circle (rotation) thereover, and It is comprised from the fixing means 15 and 15 which adjusts a moving range. The movement of these plates is performed by ball bearing units 16, 16... Arranged so as to be in the moving direction thereof, whereby a roller plate 14 having a pair of rollers 18, 18 on which the tire 17 is placed. Can float on the base plate 11. Also known is a floating device 10 as shown in FIG.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a tire rotation drive device for vehicle inspection equipment such as a wheel alignment tester. A turntable having a structure that can be rotated in the horizontal direction is disposed at the lower part of the frame of the device, and the turntable that can be rotated in the horizontal direction can be freely provided by a structure that is floated by air or the like. Although it is described in Document 2 that the structure is rotated in the horizontal direction, it has not been mentioned until the turntable floats.

JP 2001-4344 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-141943

In the floating device shown in FIG. 8, since the structure is complicated and the height of the entire device is increased, it may be a hindrance in designing the inspection device, and periodic lubrication to the ball bearing is performed. is required. The floating device shown in FIG. 9 has a simple structure, but surface hardening heat treatment is necessary to increase the surface pressure of the ball contact surface. Further, these devices require further improvements in terms of structure, manufacturing cost, and maintenance, such as a means for fixing by an actuator such as an air cylinder in order for the vehicle to enter and exit. .
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an air floating device for vehicle inspection that has a simple structure, is easy to operate and maintain, and has an air floating function that can cope with fine adjustment by various inspections. That is.

  The present invention includes a base plate and an air floating table disposed on the base plate, and the floating table has table support means at a lower portion thereof, and the table support means places the floating table on the base plate. An air floating device for vehicle inspection is provided with an air bearing function for floating and an adsorption function for fixing the table on the base plate.

In the air floating device of the present invention, air is introduced to the table support means provided at the lower part of the floating table, and the air bearing function is exhibited. The table can float on the base plate, and the state The table can be stopped on the base plate and fixed by suction by sucking air from the base plate. As described above, the apparatus of the present invention has a very simple structure of the entire apparatus since the floating and suction fixation of the floating table on which the vehicle wheel is placed is performed by air, and the operation and control of the apparatus are also simple. It is easy and requires no maintenance. Further, it is not necessary to separately provide a fixing means by an operating machine such as an air cylinder as in the conventional apparatus, and an accessory device by them can be simplified, so that manufacturing and maintenance costs can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the entire height of the apparatus of the present invention can be designed, it can be easily applied to various inspection apparatuses, and an inspection apparatus with a reduced height can be designed.
In addition, the floating table moves on the base plate in a state where it floats due to the air bearing function, and vibration, friction, and wear do not occur. ) And a combination of these, the movement (floating) corresponding to all directions can be performed very smoothly and response to a very small horizontal force is possible. Even if there is a slight amount, the amount of change is accurately transmitted to the vehicle, and adjustment by each inspection can be performed with higher accuracy.

The air floating device of the present invention (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the device of the present invention) will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 schematically shows a preferred example of the air floating device of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, an apparatus 1 according to the present invention includes a base plate 2, an air floating table 3 placed on the base plate 2, and a table support means 4 attached to the lower part of the floating table 3. 4... Although not shown, the apparatus of the present invention includes an air compressor, a vacuum device, and the like for imparting an air bearing function and an adsorption function to the table support means. The conventional apparatus used in can be used. Further, if necessary, a fixing means for adjusting the moving range when floating can be provided, and such means can also be configured using conventional ones.
The base plate 2 and the floating table 3 can be configured using members and elements used in the conventional floating device. In FIG. 1, the base plate 2 and the floating table 3 are both circular, but the dimensions such as shape and size can be appropriately adjusted according to the inspection apparatus incorporating the air floating apparatus of the present invention. The base plate preferably has a certain smoothness.
The floating table 3 can be floated on the base plate 2 by the air bearing function and the suction function of the lower table support means 4, and can be stopped and fixed by suction on the plate.

2 and 3 schematically show a plan view and AA cross-sectional view of support devices 4a and 4b which are preferable examples of the table support means 4, respectively.
The support device 4a shown in FIG. 2 includes a housing 5a that opens downward and includes an air circulation port 6a and a diaphragm 7a that closes the opening of the housing and includes an air circulation port 8a. As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 5a preferably has a substantially U-shaped cross section. A constant high-pressure air chamber is formed in the region closed by the diaphragm 7a by introducing air. By making the housing 5a substantially U-shaped in cross section, the shape of the diaphragm 7a expanded at a high pressure is made constant. While being able to hold | maintain stably, when air is attracted | sucked, the diaphragm 7a can be accommodated in the housing 5a. The diaphragm 7a may have a function as a so-called bellows, and in that case, the housing into the housing is further facilitated. The shape of the support device is not particularly limited, but is preferably circular as shown in FIG. Further, the overall size and thickness thereof can be appropriately adjusted according to the inspection apparatus.
In addition, such a support device may use what is marketed as an air bearing, or can use these members and parts to adjust to the desired shape of the present invention. is there.

  The support device 4a is provided with an air bearing function and an adsorption function by the following method. When high-pressure air is continuously introduced into the support device 4a from the air circulation port 6a formed in the housing 5a using an air compressor (not shown) or the like, the introduced air becomes an air circulation port formed in the diaphragm 7a. It flows out continuously through 8a. At this time, a room with a constant air pressure is formed in the region closed by the diaphragm 7a, and air flows out from the lower periphery of the diaphragm 7a through the air circulation port 8a of the diaphragm 7a at a constant flow velocity. An air bearing function is imparted by flying over the base plate 2. On the other hand, when air is sucked from the air circulation port 6a of the housing 4a using a vacuum device (not shown) or the like, the area closed by the diaphragm 7a is in a vacuum state, and the air flows from the air circulation port 8a of the diaphragm 7a. Is sucked and fixed on the base plate 2.

  A support device 4b shown in FIG. 3 is another embodiment of the support device, and uses a porous body 9b instead of the diaphragm 7a shown in FIG. Since the porous body 9b is attached in a state of being fitted in the housing 5b, the compressed air adjusted to a desired pressure introduced from the air circulation port 6b of the housing 5b passes through the holes of the porous body 9b. The material flows out from the bottom of the material at a constant flow rate, and similarly, the support device 4b can float on the base plate 2 and is provided with an air bearing function. On the other hand, by similarly sucking air from the air circulation port 6b of the housing 5b, the bottom surface is adsorbed to the base plate 2 by the air sucked from the bottom of the porous body 9b, and the support device 4b is placed on the base plate 2. Adsorption can be fixed. The porous body 9b can be formed using a commercially available material, for example, a composite material of a ceramic porous body and cast iron, but is not limited thereto. An example of such a material is Bresnite (R).

  In the air floating device 1 of the present invention, it is preferable that a plurality of the table support means 4 is provided below the floating table 3. Although depending on the size of the table support means 4, it is preferable that four or more, more preferably 4-8, are provided in order to maintain stability and balance.

The air floating device of the present invention can be incorporated into various vehicle inspection devices.
Examples of the vehicle inspection device include a wheel alignment tester (roller wheel alignment tester, slip plate type wheel alignment tester), turning radius tester, and side slip tester.

4 and 5 are schematic views of an embodiment in which the air floating device of the present invention is applied to a wheel alignment tester. FIG. 4 shows an embodiment in which the air floating device is applied to a roller type wheel alignment tester, and FIG. The aspect applied to the wheel alignment tester is shown.
By optimizing the wheel alignment, good results can be obtained in the straightness of the vehicle, the centrality of the steering wheel, the comfort during cornering, the tire wear, the fuel consumption, and the like. By introducing the air floating device of the present invention into these inspection devices, it is possible to optimize the wheel alignment more accurately, so that advantages such as improved vehicle running performance, drivability, and fuel efficiency can be obtained. Note that the appropriate range is usually defined by the automobile manufacturer, and within this range, the vehicle has traveling performance as the basic design.

  The roller type wheel alignment tester shown in FIG. 4 performs a test (test in a running state) while rotating each wheel (tire) 17 of the vehicle, and each tire is placed on a pair of rollers 18, 18. This roller is rotated by the action of an electric motor (not shown), thereby rotating the tire 17. Further, the slip plate type wheel alignment tester shown in FIG. 5 performs a test with each wheel (tire) of the vehicle stationary, and has a structure without a roller. By using the air floating device 1 of the present invention, the floating table 3 on which the tire 17 is placed can be floated with a minimum force, so that fine adjustment can be handled and high-precision adjustment is possible.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic view of an embodiment in which the air floating device of the present invention is applied to a turning radius tester. In the turning radius tester, unlike the wheel alignment tester described above, the tire angle does not have to be absolute, and the difference from the straight running time to the maximum clearance angle is measured, and it is inspected whether it is within an appropriate range. That is, when the vehicle is viewed straight from the top, the left and right tires are arranged substantially in parallel. When the vehicle is turning to the right, the left and right tires are open to the right, but assuming the difference in turning radius, the right is larger than the left tire. The opposite is true for a left turn. The turning radius test is performed with the aim of optimizing this degree. The inspection is performed by measuring the rotation angle of the floating table 3 with the rotation angle sensor 20, but by introducing the air floating device 1 of the present invention, the floating table 3 is floated (rotated) with a minimum force. Therefore, more accurate measurement is possible.

  FIG. 7 is a schematic view of an aspect in which the air floating device of the present invention is applied to a side slip tester. In the side slip test, the movement amount of the tread board when the vehicle is passed over two tread boards arranged in parallel is measured by the stroke sensors 21 and 21, and it is inspected whether it is within an appropriate range. By introducing the air floating device 1 of the present invention, the floating table 3 as a tread can be floated (moved only in the left-right direction) with a minimum force in response to the movement of the wheel (tire) 17. Highly accurate measurement is possible.

A preferable example of the air floating device of the present invention is schematically shown. The top view and AA sectional drawing of the support apparatus which are a preferable example of the table support means in the air floating apparatus of this invention are shown typically. The top view and AA sectional drawing of another support apparatus which is a preferable example of the table support means in the air floating apparatus of this invention are shown typically. It is a schematic diagram of an example which applied the air floating apparatus of this invention to the roller-type wheel alignment tester. It is the schematic diagram of an example which applied the air floating apparatus of this invention to the slip plate type wheel alignment tester. It is the schematic diagram of an example which applied the air floating apparatus of this invention to the turning radius tester. It is the schematic diagram of an example which applied the air floating apparatus of this invention to the side slip tester. An example of the conventional floating apparatus is shown typically. Another example of the conventional floating apparatus is typically shown.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air floating apparatus 2 Base plate 3 Floating table 4, 4a, 4b Table support means (support apparatus)
5a, 5b Housing 6a, 6b Housing air flow port 7a Diaphragm 8a Diaphragm air flow port 9b Porous body 10 Conventional floating device 11 Base plate 12 Front and rear floating plate 13 Left and right floating plate 14 Roller plate 15 Fixing means 16 Ball bearing unit 17 Tire 18 Roller 19 Ball unit 20 Rotation angle sensor 21 Stroke sensor

Claims (4)

  A base plate and an air floating table disposed on the base plate, the floating table having table support means at a lower portion thereof, the table support means for floating the floating table on the base plate An air floating device for vehicle inspection comprising an air bearing function and a suction function for fixing the table on the base plate.   The table support means includes a housing having a lower opening and an air circulation port, and a support device including the diaphragm having an air circulation port, or a housing having a lower opening and an air circulation port. The air bearing according to claim 1, wherein the air bearing and the adsorption are performed by introducing air into the table support means or sucking air from the support means. Floating device.   The air floating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of the table support means are provided at a lower portion of the floating table.   The air floating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the air floating device is for a wheel alignment tester, a turning radius tester, or a side slip tester.

Images