JP2520773B2 - Camber adjuster - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a camber adjusting device for automatically adjusting the camber of a vehicle.

[Prior Art] In the wheel alignment of a vehicle, the camber adjustment work is usually performed by rotating an eccentric bolt (adjustment member) fixing the lower arm at a predetermined angle, and changing the camber angle of the wheel to which the lower arm is connected. Is done by adjusting.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] By the way, in the camber adjustment work described above, since the eccentric bolt is arranged close to various other members, the work of engaging a tool such as a spanner with the eccentric bolt is difficult. There is a problem in that it becomes complicated, which makes it particularly difficult to automate the camber adjustment work. Moreover, in order to automate the camber adjusting work, it is necessary to accurately position the camber adjusting device with respect to the eccentric bolt of each vehicle, and thereby the positioning accuracy of the vehicle and the camber adjusting device must be improved. However, the control becomes complicated.

The present invention solves this kind of problem, and it is not necessary to control the relative position of the vehicle and the camber adjusting device very accurately, and the camber adjusting work is automatically and efficiently performed with a simple configuration. It is an object of the present invention to provide a camber adjusting device that enables the above.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a tool for engaging the camber adjusting member of a vehicle to adjust the camber, and a tool for the vehicle. A moving mechanism that moves in three directions of a high direction, a vehicle length direction, and a vehicle width direction, a detection member that is a constituent part of the vehicle that is arranged corresponding to the adjustment member, a tool and the moving mechanism, A sensor that detects the position of the detection member in the three directions so as to relatively position the tool and the adjustment member is provided in the tool, and the sensor is provided in two directions among the three directions. A first sensor that detects the position of the detection member in the two directions by moving, and the moving mechanism,
It is characterized by comprising a second sensor for detecting the position of the detection member in the one direction by moving in the remaining one direction.

[Operation] In the camber adjusting device according to the present invention, the tool is
The vehicle is moved in the vehicle height direction, vehicle length direction, and vehicle width direction under the action of the moving mechanism, and the sensor is engaged with the detection member, whereby the relative position between the tool and the adjustment member is detected.
Then, the tool is moved by a predetermined distance to engage with the adjusting member, and the camber adjusting work is automatically performed.

[Embodiment] A camber adjusting device according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 and 2, reference numeral 10 indicates a camber adjusting device according to this embodiment. The camber adjusting device 10 includes first and second nut runners 14 and 16 as tools for engaging the camber adjusting member 12 of the vehicle to adjust the camber, and the nut runners 14 and 16 to the vehicle height of the vehicle. Direction (arrow Z direction), vehicle length direction (arrow T direction) and vehicle width direction (arrow B direction), and a detection bolt (detection member) 20 arranged corresponding to the adjustment member 12 And a sensor 22 for engaging the detection bolt 20 and detecting the relative position between the nut runners 14 and 16 and the adjusting member 12.

The adjusting member 12 includes a lower arm 26 and a cross beam 24 of the vehicle.
An eccentric bolt 28 and a nut 30 for fixing the wheel are provided, and the camber angle of a wheel (not shown) connected to the lower arm 26 is adjusted by rotating the eccentric bolt 28.

The moving mechanism 18 is a well-known orthogonal robot or articulated robot that is displaceable in the three-axis directions of arrows Z, T, and B, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

A base 34 is fixed to the moving mechanism 18, and a slide base 38 is arranged on the base 34 via a pair of guide rails 36, 36 extending in the arrow B direction. It is floatingly supported by the cylindrical bodies 40a, 40b and the coil springs 42a, 42b fixed thereto.

Proximity sensors (first sensors) 44a, 44b forming a sensor 22 are mounted on the base 34 to detect the positions of the first and second nut runners 14, 16 in the vehicle width direction (arrow B direction).

The first nut runner 14 is arranged on the slide base 38 via a pair of guide rails 46, 46, and a frame 50 that is movable back and forth in the vehicle length direction (arrow T direction) via a spring 47 and a cylinder 48. This frame 50 has a rotary drive source 52 and a gear train.
A rotatable inner socket member 56 is disposed via the connector 54. The inner socket member 56 has an inner peripheral shape selected so that the nut 30 of the adjusting member 12 can be inserted therein.

At the upper end of the frame 50, an optical sensor (second sensor) 58 that constitutes the sensor 22 for detecting the position of the first nut runner 14 in the vehicle height direction (arrow Z direction) and the vehicle length direction (arrow T direction) 58. Is provided.

The second nut runner 16 includes a frame body 60 fixed on the slide base 38, and a rotary drive source 62 and a gear train are provided on the frame body 60.
An outer socket member 66 that is rotatable is disposed via a connector 64. The outer socket member 66 has an inner peripheral shape selected so that the head of the eccentric bolt 28 of the adjusting member 12 can be inserted therein, and is tiltably supported by the frame body 60 via a coil spring 68.

Next, the operation of the camber adjusting device configured as described above will be described.

After the vehicle is placed at the camber adjustment position, the moving mechanism 18 that constitutes the camber adjustment device 10 is displaced in a predetermined direction, and the first nut runner 14 is placed below the detection bolt 20.

Therefore, first, the relative position detection work in the vehicle height direction (arrow Z direction) is performed. As shown in FIG. 3A, the base 34 is raised under the action of the moving mechanism 18, and the frame body of the first nut runner 14 is moved.
The detection bolt 20 is engaged with the optical sensor 58 provided on the 50 (see FIG. 3b). As a result, the position of the first nut runner 14 in the vehicle height direction is detected.

Next, the relative position detection work in the vehicle length direction (direction of arrow T) is performed. As shown in FIG. 4A, when the first nut runner 14 is moved in the direction of the arrow through the base 34 under the action of the moving mechanism 18, the detecting bolt 20 is separated from the optical sensor 58, and this optical sensor 58 turns from the OFF state to the ON state (see FIG. 4b). When the first nut runner 14 is displaced through the slide base 38 in the direction opposite to the arrow by a predetermined distance, the position of the first nut runner 14 in the vehicle length direction is detected (Fig. 4c). reference).

Further, the relative position detection work in the vehicle width direction (arrow B direction) is performed. As shown in FIG. 5A, when the first nut runner 14 is moved in the arrow direction via the slide base 38 under the action of the moving mechanism 18, the frame body of the first nut runner 14 is moved.
After the upper end of 50 comes into contact with the detection bolt 20, only the base 34 is displaced in the arrow direction against the coil spring 42a with the slide base 38 stopped. Therefore, the base 34
The proximity sensor 44a provided in the vehicle is driven, and the signal thereof causes the base 34 to be displaced by a predetermined distance in the direction opposite to the arrow, and the position of the first nut runner 14 in the vehicle width direction is detected ( See Figure 5b).

In this way, after the relative positions of the first nut runner 14 and the adjusting member 12 in the directions of the arrows Z, T and B are detected, the movement mechanism 18 is drive-controlled to adjust the first nut runner 14 and the second nut runner 16. The second nut runner 16 is positioned with respect to the member 12, and is further displaced toward the eccentric bolt 28 side of the adjusting member 12. Here, the second nut runner 16
Since the outer socket member 66 is tiltably supported by the frame body 60, even if the position of the head of the eccentric bolt 28 changes, the head can be reliably inserted into the outer socket member 66. .

Next, the frame body is operated under the action of the cylinder 48 and the spring 47.
After the 50 is displaced toward the adjusting member 12 side and the nut 30 is inserted into the inner socket member 56, the inner socket member 56 and the outer socket member are driven by the rotary drive sources 52 and 62 via the gear trains 54 and 64. 66 are rotated in the same direction as each other. As a result, the eccentric bolt 28 and the nut 30 rotate integrally in the same direction, the lower arm 26 is displaced with respect to the cross beam 24, and the wheels (not shown) connected to the lower arm 26 tilt. The camber angle is adjusted.

In this case, in the present embodiment, the first and second nut runners 14 and 16 are arranged in the vehicle height direction with respect to the adjusting member 12 via the optical sensor 58 and the proximity sensors 44a and 44b forming the sensor 22 and the detection bolt 20. , Automatically and accurately positioned in the vehicle length direction and the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the vehicle and the camber adjusting device 10 may not be positioned relatively accurately.

Moreover, since the first and second nut runners 14 and 16 extend from the lower side of the vehicle to the adjusting member 12 side, even if the adjusting member 12 is arranged in a considerably narrow portion, the eccentric bolt 28 and the nut 30 have outer sockets. The member 66 and the inner socket member 56 can be easily inserted.

As a result, it is possible to provide the effect that the entire camber adjustment work can be performed automatically and efficiently, and to provide the camber adjustment device 10 having a simple configuration.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, in the camber adjusting device according to the present invention,
It has the following effects and advantages.

The tool is moved in the vehicle height direction, the vehicle length direction, and the vehicle width direction of the vehicle, and the sensor is engaged with the detection member, whereby the tool is arranged at a predetermined relative position with respect to the adjustment member. Is moved a predetermined distance to engage the adjusting member. Therefore, even if the vehicle and the camber adjusting device are not accurately positioned, the position is automatically adjusted and the camber adjusting work is easily and efficiently performed.

Further, in the present invention, since the positions of the detection member in the three directions can be detected by the two sensors, there is an advantage that the configuration is simplified.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially longitudinal front view of an embodiment of a camber adjusting device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view of the camber adjusting device, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of relative position detection work in a vehicle height direction, FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of the relative position detection work in the vehicle length direction, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of the relative position detection work in the vehicle width direction. 10 …… Camber adjustment device 12 …… Adjustment member 14, 16 …… Nut runner 18 …… Movement mechanism 20 …… Detection bolt 22 …… Sensor 34 …… Base 38 …… Slide base 44a, 44b …… Proximity sensor 50 …… Frame 52 …… Rotation drive source 56 …… Inner socket member 58 …… Optical sensor 60 …… Frame 62 …… Rotation drive source 66 …… Outer socket member

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A tool for engaging a camber adjusting member of a vehicle to adjust the camber, and a movement for moving the tool in three directions of a vehicle height direction, a vehicle length direction and a vehicle width direction of the vehicle. A mechanism, a detection member that is a constituent part of the vehicle arranged corresponding to the adjustment member, the tool and the movement mechanism, and the detection is performed to relatively position the tool and the adjustment member. A sensor for detecting the position of the member in the three directions, the sensor being provided in the tool,
A first sensor that detects the position of the detection member in the two directions by moving in the same direction, and a position of the detection member in the one direction that is provided in the moving mechanism and moves in the remaining one direction. And a second sensor for controlling the camber adjusting device.