JP2021128069A - Vehicle inspection device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a vehicle inspection device with which it is possible to artificially create various road surface states.SOLUTION: The present invention is a vehicle inspection device 10 equipped with a pair of rollers 104 that are in contact with the lower front and lower rear parts of a wheel W of a vehicle and designed to support each individual wheel W with each individual pair of rollers 104 and artificially drive the vehicle at a fixed position. This inspection device comprises a roller elevation mechanism 42 provided for each pair of rollers 104, for moving the pair of rollers 104 in the vertical direction, and a control unit 18 for individually controlling the operation of a plurality of roller elevation mechanisms 42 in accordance with the inspection condition of the vehicle and adjusting the vertical positions of a pair of rollers 104.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle inspection device that enables a vehicle to run in a simulated manner at a fixed position.

Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle attitude control device that enables measurement and inspection of various characteristics corresponding to various vehicle attitudes on a sloped road surface. This vehicle attitude control device is provided with a tilting mechanism and a rotating mechanism on the base plate on which the vehicle is placed, and makes it possible to create a pseudo ramp.

Japanese Patent No. 34198443

There are some road surface conditions that cannot be created by simply tilting the base plate, such as the vehicle attitude control device shown in Patent Document 1.

The present invention has been made in consideration of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle inspection device capable of artificially creating various road surface conditions.

Aspects of the present invention are
A vehicle inspection device provided with a pair of rollers that abut on the lower front portion and the lower rear portion of the wheels of the vehicle, and the individual wheels are supported by the individual pair of rollers so that the vehicle can be simulated in a fixed position. And
A mounting table that supports the pair of rollers,
A roller elevating mechanism provided for each pair of rollers and moving the pair of rollers in the vertical direction,
A control unit that individually controls the operation of the plurality of roller elevating mechanisms according to the inspection conditions of the vehicle and adjusts the vertical positions of the pair of rollers.
To be equipped.

According to the present invention, various road surface conditions can be simulated.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the entire vehicle inspection device. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a vehicle inspection device with the mounting table removed. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the outer circumference of the mounting table and the table rotating gear. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a roller unit. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit.

Hereinafter, the vehicle inspection device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings with reference to suitable embodiments.

In the following description, the directions of front / rear, left / right, and up / down are the same directions as front / rear, left / right, and up / down of the vehicle to be inspected.

[1. Overall configuration of vehicle inspection device 10]
The overall configuration of the vehicle inspection device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle inspection device 10 includes a mounting table 12, a table rotation mechanism 14, four roller units 16, and a control unit 18. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the table rotation mechanism 14 includes a table rotation shaft 20, a plurality of table support portions 22, and a table power unit 24. The table rotation mechanism 14 is fixed to the floor of the facility where the vehicle inspection device 10 is arranged. On the other hand, the mounting table 12 can rotate about the axis A extending in the vertical direction. The four roller units 16 are supported by a mounting table 12.

[1.1. Mounting stand 12]
As shown in FIG. 1, the mounting table 12 is a circular plate larger than the planar shape of the vehicle. The mounting table 12 has four roller unit holes 26 penetrating in the vertical direction. The roller unit hole 26 is formed at a position (under the wheel W) facing the wheel W of the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 3, the mounting table 12 has a large diameter portion 28 having a large diameter at the upper portion and a small diameter portion 30 having a small diameter at the lower portion. The small diameter portion 30 is a gear having teeth formed on its peripheral surface.

[1.2. Table rotation mechanism 14]
As shown in FIG. 2, the table rotation shaft 20 can rotate a connecting member connected to the center of the lower surface of the mounting table 12, a shaft member extending in the vertical direction and having an upper end side fixed to the connecting member, and a shaft member. It has a support member that supports it in a normal state. The table rotation shaft 20 is arranged on the shaft A. The support member of the table rotation shaft 20 is fixed to the floor of the facility where the vehicle inspection device 10 is arranged.

The platform support portion 22 has a receiving wheel (conveyor wheel) at the upper portion. The receiving wheel comes into contact with the lower surface of the small diameter portion 30 of the mounting table 12. The plurality of base support portions 22 are composed of a plurality of inner support portions 22i and a plurality of outer support portions 22o. The plurality of inner support portions 22i are arranged at equal intervals on the same circle centered on the table rotation shaft 20. Similar to the inner support portion 22i, the plurality of outer support portions 22o are arranged at equal intervals on the same circle centered on the table rotation shaft 20. The plurality of outer support portions 22o are arranged at a position outside the position where the plurality of inner support portions 22i are arranged, for example, at a position facing the edge of the mounting table 12. The platform support portion 22 is fixed to the floor of the facility where the vehicle inspection device 10 is arranged.

The pedestal power unit 24 includes a first electric motor 32, a first power transmission unit 34, and a pedestal rotation gear 36. The output shaft of the first electric motor 32 and the pedestal rotation gear 36 are connected via the first power transmission unit 34. When the first electric motor 32 is driven, the table rotation gear 36 rotates. As shown in FIG. 3, the table rotation gear 36 meshes with a gear formed in the small diameter portion 30 of the mounting table 12. The pedestal power unit 24 is fixed to the floor of the facility where the vehicle inspection device 10 is arranged.

[1.3. Roller unit 16]
As shown in FIG. 4, in the roller unit 16, the base 40, the roller elevating mechanism 42, the roller tilting mechanism 44, the roller rotating mechanism 46, and the roller mechanism 48 are arranged from the bottom to the top. .. Most of the roller unit 16 is arranged below the roller unit hole 26 of the mounting table 12. On the other hand, the pair of rollers 104 are exposed upward.

The base 40 is a plate arranged at the bottom of the roller unit 16. A plurality of columnar suspension members 50 are provided between the base 40 and the mounting table 12. The upper end of the hanging member 50 is connected to the mounting table 12 (small diameter portion 30), and the lower end is connected to the base 40. With such a structure, the roller unit 16 is supported by the mounting table 12. A space is formed under the base 40 so that the elevating rod 58 and the shaft 60, which will be described later, can move downward.

[13.1. Roller lifting mechanism 42]
The roller elevating mechanism 42 includes an elevating table 52, a second electric motor 54, a second power transmission unit 56, an elevating rod 58, a plurality of shafts 60, and a plurality of linear bearings 62. The elevating table 52 is arranged above the base 40 so as to be parallel to the base 40.

The second electric motor 54 is connected to the second power transmission unit 56. The second power transmission unit 56 is fixed to the base 40. The elevating rod 58 extends in the vertical direction. The upper portion of the elevating rod 58 is fixed to the center of the lower surface of the elevating table 52, for example, the elevating table 52. The elevating rod 58 is orthogonal to the elevating table 52. A part of the elevating rod 58 is inserted into a hole (not shown) formed in the base 40. The elevating rod 58 is connected to the second electric motor 54 via the second power transmission unit 56. The second power transmission unit 56 and the elevating rod 58 are mechanisms that transmit the power output by the second electric motor 54 to the elevating table 52 and move the elevating table 52 up or down. For example, the elevating rod 58 may be a rack, the second power transmission unit 56 may have a pinion connected to the second electric motor 54, and a rack and pinion may be formed. Alternatively, the lifting rod 58 may be a screw shaft, the second power transmission unit 56 may have a ball screw nut connected to the second electric motor 54, and a ball screw may be formed.

The shaft 60 extends in the vertical direction. The upper portion of the shaft 60 is fixed to the lower edge of the elevating table 52, for example, the elevating table 52. The shaft 60 is orthogonal to the elevating table 52. A part of the shaft 60 is inserted into a hole (not shown) formed in the base 40 and a linear bearing 62 fixed to the upper and lower surfaces of the base 40. Instead of the shaft 60 and the linear bearing 62, a linear guide composed of a block and a rail may be provided.

[1.3.2. Roller tilt mechanism 44]
The roller tilting mechanism 44 includes a tilting table 66, an upper bracket 68, a lower bracket 70, a tilting shaft 72, a third electric motor 74, a third power transmission unit 76, a right rod 78, and a fourth electric motor. It has 80, a fourth power transmission unit 82, and a left rod 84. The tilt table 66 is arranged above the elevating table 52 so as to be parallel to the elevating table 52.

The upper bracket 68 is fixed to the lower surface of the tilt table 66. The upper bracket 68 is provided one by one in the front and rear. The lower bracket 70 is fixed to the upper surface of the elevating table 52 via the bracket support portion 86. The lower bracket 70 is arranged between the front and rear upper brackets 68. The inclined shaft 72 extends in the front-rear direction and is inserted into a hole formed in the upper bracket 68 and a hole formed in the lower bracket 70.

The third electric motor 74 is connected to the third power transmission unit 76. The third power transmission unit 76 is fixed to the elevating table 52. The right rod 78 extends in the vertical direction. The upper portion of the right rod 78 is connected to the right end of the lower surface of the tilt table 66, for example, the tilt table 66 in a swingable state about an axis extending in the front-rear direction. A part of the right rod 78 is inserted into a hole (not shown) formed in the elevating table 52. The right rod 78 is connected to the third electric motor 74 via the third power transmission unit 76. The third power transmission unit 76 and the right rod 78 are mechanisms that transmit the power output by the third electric motor 74 to the tilt table 66 and move the right end of the tilt table 66 up or down. For example, the right rod 78 may be a rack, the third power transmission unit 76 may have a pinion connected to the third electric motor 74, and a rack and pinion may be formed. Alternatively, the right rod 78 may be a screw shaft, the third power transmission unit 76 may have a ball screw nut connected to the third electric motor 74, and a ball screw may be formed.

The configuration including the fourth electric motor 80, the fourth power transmission unit 82, and the left rod 84 is the same as the configuration including the third electric motor 74, the third power transmission unit 76, and the right rod 78. However, the upper portion of the left rod 84 is connected to, for example, the left end of the lower surface of the tilt table 66 in a swingable state about an axis extending in the front-rear direction.

[1.3.3. Roller rotation mechanism 46]
The roller rotation mechanism 46 includes a rotary table 88, a fifth electric motor 90, a fifth power transmission unit 92, and a roller rotation gear 94. The rotary table 88 is arranged above the tilt table 66 so as to be parallel to the tilt table 66. Further, the rotary table 88 is connected to the tilt table 66 by a roller rotation shaft 96 orthogonal to the tilt table 66 in a state in which rotation around the shaft member is possible.

The fifth electric motor 90 is connected to the fifth power transmission unit 92. The fifth power transmission unit 92 is fixed to the tilt table 66. The roller rotary gear 94 is fixed to the lower surface of the rotary table 88. The axis of the roller rotation gear 94 and the axis of the roller rotation shaft 96 are located on the same axis B. The roller rotary gear 94 is connected to the fifth electric motor 90 via the fifth power transmission unit 92. The fifth power transmission unit 92 and the roller rotary gear 94 are mechanisms that transmit the power output by the fifth electric motor 90 to the rotary table 88 and rotate the rotary table 88 to one or the other.

[13.4. Roller mechanism 48]
The roller mechanism 48 includes a sixth electric motor 100, a sixth power transmission unit 102, a roller 104, and a bearing 106.

The sixth electric motor 100 is connected to the sixth power transmission unit 102. The sixth power transmission unit 102 is fixed to the rotary table 88. The roller 104 is arranged on the rotary table 88. Roller shafts 108 project from the left and right ends of the roller 104. The roller shaft 108 is rotatably supported by the bearing 106. The roller 104 and the pair of bearings 106 are provided one by one in the front and rear. The front-back and left-right centers of the pair of rollers 104 are located on the axis B. The roller shaft 108 of the roller 104 on the front side is connected to the sixth electric motor 100 via the sixth power transmission unit 102. The sixth power transmission unit 102 is a mechanism that transmits the power output by the sixth electric motor 100 to the front roller 104 and applies a load to the roller 104.

A lid 110 is provided on the uppermost portion of the roller unit 16. The lid 110 is fixed to the rotary table 88 via the lid support portion 112. The surface of the lid 110 is flush with the surface of the mounting table 12. Further, the lid 110 is formed with a roller hole 114 that exposes the roller 104 upward.

When the roller elevating mechanism 42, the roller tilting mechanism 44, and the roller rotating mechanism 46 are stopped at the reference positions, the roller 104 extends in the left-right direction. At this time, the uppermost portion of the roller 104 has substantially the same height as the surface of the mounting table 12.

The wheels W of the vehicle to be inspected are placed on the pair of rollers 104. The roller 104 on the front side abuts on the lower front portion of the wheel W. The rear roller 104 comes into contact with the lower rear portion of the wheel W.

[1.4. Control unit 18]
As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 18 includes a calculation unit 120, a storage unit 122, a motor drive circuit 124, and the like. The control unit 18 is a processor. The storage unit 122 is a RAM, a ROM, or the like. The storage unit 122 stores driving environment information indicating a pseudo driving environment. For example, as the driving environment information, information such as a test route to be used for a driving test of an autonomous driving vehicle and a road surface condition is set. The motor drive circuit 124 is provided for each electric motor. The motor drive circuit 124 supplies electric power to the corresponding electric motor according to the control signal output by the arithmetic unit 120. The control unit 18 can individually control each electric motor of the roller unit 16.

[2. Operation of vehicle inspection device 10]
[2.1. Rotational operation of mounting table 12]
The rotational operation of the mounting table 12 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. When the output shaft of the first electric motor 32 rotates in one direction, the table rotation gear 36 receives power from the first power transmission unit 34 and rotates in one direction. Then, the mounting table 12 rotates in one direction about the table rotating shaft 20. When the operation of the first electric motor 32 is stopped, the mounting table 12 is stopped. Similarly, when the output shaft of the first electric motor 32 rotates in the other direction, the mounting table 12 rotates in the other direction around the table rotation shaft 20.

[2.2. Lifting and lowering operation of the roller lifting mechanism 42]
The elevating operation of the roller elevating mechanism 42 will be described with reference to FIG. When the output shaft of the second electric motor 54 rotates in one direction, the elevating rod 58 receives power from the second power transmission unit 56 and is raised upward. Then, the elevating table 52 is raised upward by the elevating rod 58. At this time, the elevating table 52 is guided upward by the shaft 60 and the linear bearing 62. Therefore, the elevating table 52 rises along a constant trajectory and maintains a horizontal posture when ascending. When the operation of the second electric motor 54 is stopped, the elevating table 52 is stopped. Similarly, when the output shaft of the second electric motor 54 rotates in the other direction, the elevating table 52 descends along a constant trajectory and maintains a horizontal posture when descending.

As the elevating table 52 moves up and down, the pair of rollers 104 arranged on the elevating table 52 move up and down.

[2.3. Tilt operation of roller tilt mechanism 44]
The tilting operation of the roller tilting mechanism 44 will be described with reference to FIG. When the output shaft of the third electric motor 74 rotates in one direction, the right rod 78 receives power from the third power transmission unit 76 and is raised upward. Then, the right side of the tilt table 66 is raised upward by the right rod 78. At the same time, when the output shaft of the fourth electric motor 80 rotates in one direction, the left rod 84 receives power from the fourth power transmission unit 82 and is lowered downward. Then, the left side of the tilt table 66 is lowered by the left rod 84. At this time, the tilt table 66 and the upper bracket 68 rotate about the tilt shaft 72. As a result, the tilt table 66 is tilted with the right side facing up and the left side facing down. When the operations of the third electric motor 74 and the fourth electric motor 80 are stopped, the tilt table 66 is stopped. Similarly, when the output shaft of the third electric motor 74 and the output shaft of the fourth electric motor 80 rotate in other directions, the tilt table 66 tilts with the right side down and the left side up.

When the tilt table 66 is tilted, the pair of rollers 104 arranged on the tilt table 66 are tilted to the left and right about the tilt shaft 72. This slope corresponds to Kant.

[2.4. Rotational operation of roller rotation mechanism 46]
The rotation operation of the roller rotation mechanism 46 will be described with reference to FIG. When the output shaft of the fifth electric motor 90 rotates in one direction, the roller rotation gear 94 receives power from the fifth power transmission unit 92 and rotates in one direction around the roller rotation shaft 96. Then, the rotary table 88 also rotates in the same direction. When the operation of the fifth electric motor 90 is stopped, the rotary table 88 is stopped. Similarly, when the output shaft of the fifth electric motor 90 rotates in the other direction, the rotary table 88 rotates in the other direction around the roller rotation shaft 96.

As the rotary table 88 rotates, the pair of rollers 104 arranged on the rotary table 88 rotate about the axis B.

[2.5. Roller mechanism 48 load application operation]
The load applying operation of the roller mechanism 48 will be described with reference to FIG. When the output shaft of the sixth electric motor 100 rotates in one direction, the roller shaft 108 receives power from the sixth power transmission unit 102. When the wheel W is rotating on the roller 104 and the roller shaft 108 receives power from the sixth power transmission unit 102, a load is applied to the wheel W.

[2.6. Pseudo environment created by control unit 18]
The vehicle inspection device 10 can perform a running test of an autonomous driving vehicle or a driving support vehicle in which a system on the vehicle side controls the running of the vehicle. In this case, the calculation unit 120 controls each electric motor according to the inspection conditions stored in the storage unit 122 to create a pseudo traveling environment or traveling condition of the vehicle to be inspected.

The calculation unit 120 raises each roller 104 of the two front roller units 16 while maintaining each roller 104 of the two rear roller units 16 at the height of the mounting table 12. In this way, the arithmetic unit 120 creates a pseudo uphill slope. Similarly, the calculation unit 120 raises each roller 104 of the two rear roller units 16 while maintaining each roller 104 of the two front roller units 16 at the height of the mounting table 12. In this way, the arithmetic unit 120 creates a pseudo downward gradient.

The calculation unit 120 raises each roller 104 of the two roller units 16 on the right side while maintaining each roller 104 of the two roller units 16 on the left side at the height of the mounting table 12. Similarly, the calculation unit 120 raises each roller 104 of the two roller units 16 on the left side while maintaining each roller 104 of the two roller units 16 on the right side at the height of the mounting table 12. In this way, the calculation unit 120 pseudo-creates a road surface having steps on the left and right.

The calculation unit 120 raises each roller 104 of the two roller units 16 on the right side while maintaining each roller 104 of the two roller units 16 on the left side at the height of the mounting table 12. Further, the calculation unit 120 tilts each roller 104 of each roller unit 16 so that the left side is low and the right side is high. In this way, the arithmetic unit 120 pseudo-creates a cant with a high right side. Similarly, the calculation unit 120 raises each roller 104 of the two roller units 16 on the left side while maintaining each roller 104 of the two roller units 16 on the right side at the height of the mounting table 12. Further, the calculation unit 120 tilts each roller 104 of each roller unit 16 so that the right side is low and the left side is high. In this way, the arithmetic unit 120 pseudo-creates a cant with a high left side.

In the automatic steering inspection, the calculation unit 120 rotates the two front rollers 104 so as to follow the steering of the wheels W.

The calculation unit 120 rotates the mounting table 12 around the axis A to generate a pseudo yawing in the vehicle to be inspected. At this time, the calculation unit 120 adjusts the rotation angle or rotation speed of the mounting table 12 according to the inspection conditions.

[3. Technical idea obtained from the embodiment]
The technical ideas that can be grasped from the above embodiments are described below.

Aspects of the present invention are
A pair of rollers 104 that abut on the lower front portion and the lower rear portion of the wheels W of the vehicle are provided, and the individual wheels W are supported by the individual pair of rollers 104 so that the vehicle can be simulated in a fixed position. Vehicle inspection device 10
A roller elevating mechanism 42 provided for each of the pair of rollers 104 and moving the pair of rollers 104 in the vertical direction.
A control unit 18 that individually controls the operation of the plurality of roller elevating mechanisms 42 according to the inspection conditions of the vehicle and adjusts the vertical positions of the pair of rollers 104.
To be equipped.

According to the above configuration, since the pair of rollers 104 supporting the wheels W can be individually moved in the vertical direction, the height of the pseudo road surface with which the wheels W come into contact can be freely adjusted. Therefore, according to the above configuration, various road surface conditions can be simulated.

The present invention
A mounting table 12 having the pair of rollers 104 at positions facing the wheels W.
The above-mentioned pedestal 12 may be provided with a pedestal rotation mechanism 14 for rotating the pedestal 12 about the axis A extending in the vertical direction.

According to the above configuration, since the mounting table 12 can rotate about the axis A, it is possible to create a state in which yawing occurs in the vehicle.

In the present invention
The control unit 18 may control the operation of the table rotation mechanism 14 according to the inspection conditions of the vehicle to adjust the rotation angle or the rotation speed of the above-mentioned stand 12.

The present invention
A roller tilting mechanism 44 that tilts the pair of rollers 104 around an axis extending in the front-rear direction (the axis of the tilting shaft 72) may be provided.

According to the above configuration, since the pair of rollers 104 can be tilted about the tilt shaft 72, the cant of the pseudo road surface with which the wheels W come into contact can be freely adjusted. Therefore, according to the above configuration, more road surface conditions can be simulated.

In the present invention
The control unit 18 may control the operation of the roller tilting mechanism 44 according to the inspection conditions of the vehicle to adjust the cant of the roller 104.

It should be noted that the vehicle inspection device according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and of course, various configurations can be adopted without departing from the gist of the present invention.

10 ... Vehicle inspection device 12 ... Mounting table 14 ... Table rotation mechanism 18 ... Control unit 42 ... Roller elevating mechanism 44 ... Roller tilting mechanism 104 ... Roller

Claims (5)

A vehicle inspection device provided with a pair of rollers that abut on the lower front portion and the lower rear portion of the wheels of the vehicle, and the individual wheels are supported by the individual pair of rollers so that the vehicle can be simulated in a fixed position. And
A roller elevating mechanism provided for each pair of rollers and moving the pair of rollers in the vertical direction,
A control unit that individually controls the operation of the plurality of roller elevating mechanisms according to the inspection conditions of the vehicle and adjusts the vertical positions of the pair of rollers.
A vehicle inspection device. The vehicle inspection device according to claim 1.
A mounting table having the pair of rollers at a position facing the wheels,
A vehicle inspection device including a table rotation mechanism that rotates the above-mentioned table table around an axis extending in the vertical direction. The vehicle inspection device according to claim 2.
The control unit is a vehicle inspection device that controls the operation of the table rotation mechanism according to the inspection conditions of the vehicle to adjust the rotation angle or rotation speed of the above-mentioned table. The vehicle inspection device according to claim 1.
A vehicle inspection device including a roller tilting mechanism that tilts the pair of rollers about an axis extending in the front-rear direction. The vehicle inspection device according to claim 4.
The control unit is a vehicle inspection device that controls the operation of the roller tilting mechanism according to the inspection conditions of the vehicle to adjust the cant of the roller.

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