JP3006854B2 - Wheel inspection device - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a wheel inspection device for a vehicle such as an automobile, a truck, and a trailer, and more particularly to a wheel inspection device for inspecting an alignment such as a wheel inclination. The present invention relates to a wheel inspection device capable of individually inspecting the inclination of each side surface of such a wheel. More specifically, the present invention provides a wheel inspection capable of individually and simultaneously inspecting a pair of sub-wheels adjacent to each other, each sub-wheel of a wheel having a double wheel or double tire configuration. It concerns the device.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a wheel inspection device has been used for inspecting an alignment or a mounting state of a vehicle such as an automobile, a truck, and a trailer. Various conditions are set for wheels mounted on a vehicle, and in particular, in relation to its running performance,
So-called inclinations such as a toe angle, a camber angle, and a caster angle are set. These slopes may be inspected as one item of vehicle inspection before the vehicle is put on the market after it has been manufactured, or may be inspected when repairing the vehicle, such as replacing wheels. When the vehicle has good running performance, it is important that the inclination of such wheels be set accurately. Further, the dynamic characteristics of the wheels, that is, the characteristics of the wheel in a rotating state, include the amount of right and left deflection of the wheels and the turning angle of the wheels, and the running characteristics of the wheels are significantly affected by these dynamic characteristics. Therefore, it is also important that dynamic characteristics can be measured with high accuracy. Further, some vehicles use so-called double wheels in which a pair of wheels are mounted adjacent to each other in order to increase their load-bearing weight. It is important that this is possible.

By the way, as a prior art, a method of measuring a toe angle and / or a camber angle of a wheel while maintaining the wheel in a rotating state is disclosed in JP-A-51-83301 and JP-A-54-497.
There is a technology disclosed in No. 01. However, in the technology disclosed in these publications, the wheel is supported and rotated on a pair of rollers, but the side of the wheel is not supported or the measurement is performed by rolling the contact roller against one outer surface. However, since the geometric center position of the wheel to be measured is not positioned by sandwiching the left and right sides, it is difficult to perform accurate measurement. Further, as a technique of supporting the wheels on a floating table, holding the wheels from the left and right and positioning the geometric center thereof,
Japanese Patent Application No. 58-109235, Japanese Patent Application No. 59-9502, and Japanese Patent Application No.
No. 41913, but with the technology proposed in these applications, the dynamic characteristics of the wheels cannot be measured because the wheels supported on the table are kept static.

On the other hand, a wheel inspection device capable of measuring the dynamic characteristics of a wheel by rotating the wheel while holding the wheel from both sides is disclosed in JP-A-63-286742. In the technique disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. Sho, a wheel is supported on a pair of rollers, and both side surfaces of the wheel are sandwiched by rollers, so that dynamic measurement of the wheel can be performed. By the way, the embodiment described in this Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
This is suitable for performing wheel inspection of a wheeled vehicle (that is, a two-wheeled vehicle). Therefore, for example, in the case of a vehicle for heavy loads such as trucks, buses, and trailers, for example, a so-called three-axle or more axle, or a so-called wheel composed of a pair of auxiliary wheels mounted adjacently. The technology disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 6-64 is not always satisfactory for such a heavy-duty vehicle. For example, a wheel guide device that guides a wheel to a predetermined position of a wheel inspection device, a wheel alignment inspection of a three-axis vehicle, a measurement of an inclination of each wheel in a double wheel, an improvement in accuracy in a wheel inspection of a heavy load heavy vehicle, and the like. There is a problem in point.

Object The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art and to provide an improved wheel inspection device capable of inspecting wheels with higher accuracy. In particular, it is possible to perform a high-precision wheel inspection of heavy vehicles such as heavy-duty vehicles, trucks, buses, trailers, etc. It is an object of the present invention to provide a wheel inspection device capable of performing high-precision and quick inspection simultaneously and simultaneously.

The present invention provides an inner contact roller and an outer contact roller that contact and clamp each of the inner side surface and the outer side surface of the wheel, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object and other objects,
An inner roller support and an outer roller support are connected to each contact roller, and inner and outer angle detectors are connected to each roller support. Therefore, according to this configuration, it is possible to individually measure the inclination of the inner side surface and the outer side surface of the wheel, and it is possible to measure the inclination of the wheel with higher accuracy.

In particular, when the wheels are wheels having a double wheel or a double tire configuration in which a pair of sub-wheels are juxtaposed and juxtaposed, the pair of sub-wheels is not always in the same alignment. Also in this case, it is possible to individually measure the degree of inclination of each sub-wheel, so that even a wheel having such a double-wheel configuration can be appropriately inspected. .

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 and 2 show a wheel inspection system 1 configured based on an embodiment of the present invention. The illustrated example is a two-axle vehicle, in which each of the right and left rear wheels is a so-called two-wheeled vehicle. 1 shows a wheel inspection system suitable for performing wheel inspection of a vehicle having a heavy wheel configuration. The basic configuration of this wheel inspection system is similar to the configuration described in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-286742. Therefore, in order to better understand the present invention, the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Good to see.

The wheel inspection system 1 is disposed in a pit P drilled in a floor FL such as a wheel inspection site, and the wheel inspection system 1 is installed on a pit bottom PB of the pit P. It is almost the same height as the floor FL. Since the wheel inspection system 1 is for a two-axle vehicle (four-wheel vehicle), it generally has a front wheel inspection unit 3f and a rear wheel inspection unit 3r. Although the rear wheel inspection unit 3r is located rearwardly separated from the front wheel inspection unit 3f, in order to apply to a vehicle having a different wheelbase distance of the vehicle to be inspected, in the present system, the rear wheel inspection unit 3f It is possible to adjust the distance to the rear wheel inspection unit 3r to a desired value. That is, the present system 1
A frame 2 that constitutes the entire framework is disposed in the pit P, and a front inspection unit 3f and a rear inspection unit 3r are mounted on the frame 2. The front inspection part 3f is fixedly mounted on the frame 2 while the rear inspection part 3r is mounted on a sliding part 2a slidable on a guide rail 2b provided on the frame 2 so as to extend in the front-rear direction. It is attached to. Therefore, the sliding portion 2a is unlocked, and the sliding portion 2a is slid on the guide rail 2b to set a desired distance between the front wheel inspection portion 3f and the rear wheel inspection portion 3r. It is possible to state.

The front wheel inspection unit 3f and the rear wheel inspection unit 3r have a pair of right front wheel inspection devices 3fr and a left front wheel inspection device 3fl and a pair of right rear wheel inspection devices 3rr and a left rear wheel inspection device 3rl, respectively. Are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line CL.
Since the left and right wheel inspection devices (ie, 3fr and 3fl and 3rr and 3rl) are bilaterally symmetric, they have substantially the same configuration. Further, each wheel inspection device 3fr and 3fl of the front wheel inspection unit 3f.
And each wheel inspection unit 3rr and 3rl of the rear wheel inspection unit 3r are substantially except that each wheel inspection unit 3rr and 3rl of the rear wheel inspection unit is modified for so-called double wheel inclination measurement. Have the same configuration.

First, with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a wheel inspection device 3fl (same for 3fr) for a front wheel of the wheel inspection system 1 will be schematically described. The wheel inspection device 3fl has a pair of support rollers 15f that support the left front wheel Wf thereon, and these support rollers 15f are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction with the rotation axis extending in the lateral direction. . The support roller 15f is rotatably supported and, in the preferred embodiment, contains a motor and is driven and rotated by itself. The driving force is transmitted from a motor provided outside, or the motor itself is mounted in a free rotation state, and in the case of a front wheel drive type vehicle, the front wheel Wf itself may be driven. .

A pair of inner lower contact rollers 11u and an outer lower contact roller 11s are respectively disposed on both lateral sides of the support roller 15f, and an upper contact roller 72 is disposed outside the support roller 15f. . These contact rollers 11 and 72
Are clamped from both sides of the wheel Wf supported on the support roller 15f, and are brought into rolling contact on both side surfaces thereof. Therefore, the wheel Wf can be driven and rotated on the support roller 15f while both sides are clamped by the contact rollers 11 and 72. That is, dynamic measurement of the wheel Wf can be performed. Each of the contact rollers 11 and 72 is disposed so that its rotation axis extends substantially in the radial direction of the wheel Wf.
1s is not necessarily arranged symmetrically, and in the illustrated example, the outer contact roller 11s is
It is arranged with a slightly larger opening angle than that. The outer lower contact roller 11s and the upper contact roller 72 are integrally mounted on a substantially triangular roller support.

The wheel inspection device 3fl has a box-shaped base or box body 8, in which the inside contact roller 11u and the outside contact roller 11s are supported so as to be able to move close to and away from each other, and are vertically A clamp mechanism 9 that supports the axis so as to be rotatable around an axis is provided. As will become clear later, the support roller 15f
Is supported on the floating member so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis and to be able to translate horizontally. Therefore,
The support roller 15f and the contact rollers 11 and 72 are provided so as to be relatively independently movable. The box 8 is the frame 2
It is slidably mounted on a pair of rails 12 extending in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the center line CL fixed to the rails. Therefore, the box 8 is guided by the rail 12 so that the center line CL
Can be moved in the horizontal direction in a direction orthogonal to. However, the arm 6 provided integrally with the box 8 is operatively connected to one end of the equalizer 4f. The other end of the equalizer 4f is operatively connected to the arm 6 of the box 8 in the right front wheel inspection device 3fr. Since the central pivot point of the equalizer 4f is always located on the center line CL, the left and right wheel inspection devices 3fl and 3fr are always automatically located at symmetrical positions with respect to the center line CL.

On the other hand, the clamp mechanism 9 provided in the box 8
The contact rollers 11 and 72 are supported so as to be movable toward and away from each other and rotatable about a vertical axis, and the clamp mechanism 9 is slidably supported on guide rails laid in the box 8. Also, it is operatively connected to one end of a pantograph 5f via an arm 7. The other end of the pantograph 5f is similarly connected via the arm 7 to the right front wheel inspection device 3fr.
Is operatively connected to the clamp mechanism 9 of FIG. Therefore, each clamp mechanism 9 of the left and right wheel inspection devices 3fr and 3fl
It is always automatically located at a symmetrical position with respect to the center line CL. Therefore, the roller is driven by these clamp mechanisms 9.
When the left and right wheels Wf are clamped via 11 and 72, the geometric center positions of the respective wheels Wf are automatically positioned to be symmetrical with respect to the center line CL. Accordingly, the center of the tread, that is, the center position between the left and right wheels is automatically aligned with the center line CL which is a predetermined reference line. Further, an angle detector (preferably, encoder) 30f is provided in connection with the clamp mechanism 9, thereby measuring a required inclination angle (for example, a toe angle) of the wheel Wf in a clamped state. It is possible to

A wheel guide device is provided at the entrance to the wheel inspection device 3fl, and the wheel guide device in this case has a center roller 18, a first side roller 19, and a second side roller 20u. are doing. The central rollers 18 are provided in a pair, and are provided side by side so as to protrude slightly above the running surface of the wheel Wf and extend in the traveling direction of the vehicle. First side roller 19
Are rotatably disposed at a first height higher than the center roller 18. The first side roller 19 is disposed so as to be slightly narrower in the traveling direction of the vehicle. The second side roller 20u is rotatably supported at a second height which is higher than the first height. The second side roller 20u is also disposed so as to be slightly narrower in the traveling direction of the vehicle. Further, each second side roller
Auxiliary roller 201 is rotatably supported adjacent to and slightly inside 20u, and auxiliary roller 201 is located at the first height. According to such a wheel guide device, it is possible to guide the wheels stably and accurately along a predetermined track.

Next, the rear wheel inspection device 3rl (same for 3rr) will be schematically described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 again.
The wheel inspection device 3rl for the rear wheel has a configuration similar to the above-described wheel inspection device 3fl for the front wheel as a whole.
In the illustrated example, the wheel inspection device 3rl for the rear wheel is different in that it is modified so as to be able to inspect especially a wheel having a double wheel or a double tire configuration.

Also in the wheel inspection device 3rl for the rear wheel, the inside contact roller 11u and the outside contact roller 11s (however, in FIG. 1, these rollers are accommodated in the cover 17 and are not shown, and in FIG. 2, , Rollers 11s are shown), and a clamp mechanism (not shown) for supporting these rollers so as to be movable toward and away from each other and rotatably around a vertical axis is provided. Similarly, the wheel inspection device 3rl has a box 8 as a base, and this box 8 is connected to the box 8 of another wheel inspection device 3rr via an equalizer 4r.
And is always operatively connected. Also, left and right wheel inspection device 3r
The clamp mechanisms disposed in the respective boxes 8 of l and 3rr are operatively connected to each other by a pantograph 5r. The box 8 of the wheel inspection device 3rl is slidably mounted on a rail 12 fixed on the sliding portion 2a of the frame 2. Therefore, the box 8 is guided by the rails 12 and can move in the lateral direction. Further, the wheel inspection device 3rl has a pair of support rollers 15r, and these support rollers 15r are
The rear wheel Wr can be supported thereon. In the illustrated example, the rear wheel Wr is assumed to be a so-called double wheel or a double tire, so the support roller 15r of the rear wheel inspection device 3rl has a long length and the front wheel It is about twice as long as the supporting roller 15r.

A wheel guide device configured according to one feature of the present invention is also provided at the entrance of the wheel inspection device 3rl for the rear wheel. The wheel guide device has a unique configuration for guiding a double wheel or a double tire on the support roller 15r appropriately. This wheel guide device will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 as well as FIGS.

The wheel guide device constructed according to the invention basically has guide rollers 18, 19 and 20 arranged at three levels. In the illustrated example, a pair of central rollers 18 are provided, and these central rollers 18 are rotatably supported side by side with each other, and are arranged so that their rotation axes extend in the traveling direction of the vehicle. Has been established. In the illustrated example, the pair of center rollers 18 are symmetrically disposed with respect to a predetermined reference center line. In addition, this central roller 18
May be one, or three or more may be provided. As best shown in FIG. 5, the center roller 18
Almost identically arranged on the running surface of the wheels, preferably
It is arranged slightly above the running surface of the wheels. Therefore,
When the wheel runs on the central roller 18, the wheel can move freely in the lateral direction, and the lateral position of the wheel can be positioned at a desired position. Note that the center roller 18 is preferably disposed parallel to the horizontal plane.

On both left and right sides of the central roller 18, first side rollers 19 are rotatably supported and arranged. As can be seen from FIG. 5, these first side rollers 19 are arranged at a first height higher than the central roller 18. Further, the first side roller 19 is disposed so as to be inclined so as to become gradually narrower in the traveling direction of the vehicle. This inclination angle is such that the intersection angle formed by the left and right first side rollers 19 is the maximum.
It is desirable to set the angle within 30 degrees, and it is preferable to set the angle around 15 degrees. Further, it is preferable to set the distance between the closest tips of the left and right first side rollers 19 arranged to be inclined to the width of the front wheel Wf or a value slightly smaller than the width. When the first side roller 19 is too long than the radius of the wheel Wf, it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which the first side roller 19 is segmented into several parts.
Note that the length of each segmented portion is preferably
Set to about the radius of Wf or less. Further, in the illustrated example, the first side roller 19 is disposed parallel to the horizontal plane, but the roller 19 may be disposed so as to be gradually lowered in the vehicle traveling direction and inclined forward and downward. It is. In this case, the front inclination angle formed by the horizontal plane and the first side roller 19 is preferably set within a range of 0 to 15 degrees. Further, in the preferred embodiment, the first left and right side rollers 19 are disposed symmetrically with respect to the reference line of the center roller 18.

Further outside the first side roller 19 is a second side roller 20.
u is rotatably supported and arranged. In the illustrated example, the second side roller 20u is disposed at the same opening angle as the first side roller 19, but may be inclined at a different angle from the first side roller 19. It is. Fifth
As best shown in the figure, the second side roller 20u is located at a second height which is higher than the first height. In the illustrated example, the first height is set to approximately twice the second height, but may be set to a different value if desired. Since the second side roller 20u is relatively long, it is segmented, and each segmented length is preferably set to be equal to or less than the radius of the rear wheel Wr. When the distance between the closest front end portions of the second side rollers 20u is set to be substantially equal to or slightly smaller than the width when the rear wheel Wr is a double wheel or a double tire. good.

In the illustrated example, an auxiliary roller 20u is further provided, and each auxiliary roller 20u is provided with a corresponding second side roller 2u.
It is arranged adjacent to and slightly inward of 0u so as to be rotatably supported. As is apparent from FIG. 5, the auxiliary roller 20u is arranged at the first height. Auxiliary roller 2
0l is provided in parallel with the second side roller 20u. This auxiliary roller 20l provides an additional running surface and an additional lateral guiding function for the rear wheel Wr having a double wheel or double tire configuration, and thus significantly improves the wheel guiding function. Is done.

Regarding the operation of the wheel guide device having the above configuration,
explain. As shown in FIG. 1, when the vehicle enters in the direction indicated by arrow A, the front wheel Wf of the vehicle is first guided by the wheel guide device and the wheel inspection device 3rl for the rear wheel.
Or pass 3rr. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, when the front wheel Wf comes into contact with the second side roller 20u and the auxiliary roller 20l or the first side roller 19, the box 8 is integrated with these rollers. The box 8 receives a reaction force and moves in a direction orthogonal to the center line CL according to the reaction force. In that case, as described above, the left and right boxes 8
Are operatively connected via the equalizer 4r, the left and right vehicle inspection devices 3rr and 3rf move in synchronization. In this way, the left and right wheel inspection devices 3rr and 3rf operate in cooperation with the present wheel guide device as the vehicle travels in the direction of arrow A, and the corresponding wheel inspection device for each wheel Wf.
3rr and 3rl are almost matched. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, when the wheel Wf is on the central roller 18, it becomes easy to give a relatively lateral movement between the wheel Wf and the central roller 18. , First side roller
In cooperation with 19, each wheel Wf is a corresponding wheel inspection device 3rr
Or it will be matched with 3rl. In particular, the first side roller 19 is inclined and disposed in a tapered shape, and its tip is set to be approximately the width of the wheel Wf or a value slightly smaller than the wheel Wf. Or, it will be located substantially at the center of the 3rl support roller 15r.

Further, when the vehicle advances in the direction of arrow A, the wire wheel Wf moves through the wheel inspection devices 3rr and 3rf for the rear wheels. In this case, since the wheel inspection devices 3rr and 3rl are locked by the lock device 10, the support rollers 15r are fixed integrally with the box 8. Further, the support roller 15r itself is locked in a non-rotation state by the roller lock device 50. Next, the rear wheel Wr of the vehicle is a rear wheel inspection device 3rr,
Enter 3rl. In this case, the rear wheel Wr has a so-called double wheel or double tire configuration. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the rear wheel Wr has a pair of coaxially mounted adjacent wheels. It has inner and outer secondary wheels or tires Wrs, Wru. Accordingly, when the rear wheel Wr moves forward, the width thereof is wider than the entrance width of the first side roller 19, so that the rear wheel Wr rides on the first side roller 19. In this case, if the rear wheel Wr is shifted in the left-right direction, the rear wheel Wr comes into contact with one of the second side rollers 20u and / or the auxiliary roller 20l, and the wheel inspection devices 3rr and 3rl align with the respective rear wheels Wr. It is displaced symmetrically as much as possible. Rear wheel Wr
Rides on the first side roller 19, so that the relative lateral displacement between the rear wheel Wr and the wheel inspection devices 3rr, 3rl is facilitated, so that the corresponding wheel for each rear wheel Wr The alignment of the inspection devices 3rr and 3rl is performed extremely smoothly and stably. As a result, the rear wheel Wr is accurately aligned with the corresponding wheel inspection device 3rr, 3rl by the present wheel guide device, and thus the rear wheel Wr is positioned on the corresponding support roller 15r in a substantially aligned state.

Next, a wheel inspection system configured to inspect wheel alignment of a three-axis vehicle, which is configured based on another feature of the present invention, will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9. As shown in FIG. 6, in this wheel inspection system 1, as in the system shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle to be inspected advances from the right side to the left side of the drawing as shown by arrow A and enters the system. enter in. The wheel inspection system 1 for a three-axle vehicle shown in FIGS. 6 to 9 has a configuration generally similar to the wheel inspection system 1 for a two-axle vehicle shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. As such, similar components have similar reference numerals. In this embodiment of the three-axle vehicle, the wheel inspection unit 3f for the front wheel (first axis) and the rear wheel (second
In addition to the wheel inspection unit 3r for the axle), a wheel inspection unit 3m for the intermediate wheel (third axis) is provided. The wheel inspection units 3r and 3m for the rear wheel and the intermediate wheel assume that each rear wheel Wr has a double wheel or double tire configuration. Therefore, the support rollers 15r in the wheel inspection units 3r and 3m have a width sufficient to mount the double wheels or the rear wheel Wr having a double tire configuration.

As shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, the wheel inspection unit 3m for the intermediate wheel is disposed adjacent to the wheel inspection unit 3r for the rear wheel. And an equalizer operatively connecting the pair of left and right wheel inspection devices 3rr and 3rl in the wheel inspection unit 3r for the rear wheel.
The 4r and the pantograph 5r are disposed in front of the rear wheel inspection unit 3r in the vehicle traveling direction. On the other hand, a pair of left and right wheel inspection devices 3mr, 3ml of the wheel inspection unit 3m for the intermediate wheel
The equalizer 4m and the pantograph 5m that connect the
The wheel inspection device 3m for the middle wheel is disposed forward with respect to the vehicle traveling direction. By adopting such an arrangement, it is possible to arrange the wheel inspection sections 3r and 3m for the rear wheel and the intermediate wheel adjacent to each other, and to compare the heights of these wheel inspection sections 3r and 3m. It is possible to set the target very low.

The middle wheel inspection unit 3m and the rear wheel inspection unit 3r have a substantially symmetrical configuration in front, rear, left and right with respect to their center points, but only the rear wheel inspection unit 3r is It has a wheel guide at the entrance. Wheel inspection section for intermediate wheels
Since 3m is arranged side by side near the rear wheel inspection unit 3r, it is not necessary to provide such a wheel guide device. According to such a wheel inspection system for a three-axis vehicle, it is possible to simultaneously and independently perform a wheel inspection on each axle of the three-axis vehicle. Further, a three-axle vehicle often has a double wheel or double tire configuration as a countermeasure against high load. Also in this case, according to the present system, it is possible to individually measure the degree of inclination of each wheel or tire on the axle of each axis.

With reference to FIGS. 6 and 8, features of the wheel inspection system 1 for a three-axis vehicle of the present invention will be described. In the wheel inspection system shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the center positioning means of the wheel inspection units 3f and 3r for the front wheel and the rear wheel are fixed on the frame 2, that is, have a fixed center position.
The center positioning means has a pantograph 5f or 5r for operatively connecting the left and right wheel clamping means, and the pantographs 5f and 5r are fixed on the frame 2 at the center point 60.
f (not shown) and 60r. Therefore, the straight line connecting these fixed center points 60f and 60r defines the reference center line CL of the inspection system. More specifically, when the sliding portion 2a is unlocked, the center point 60r is movable along the reference center line CL, but when the sliding portion 2a is locked, the center point 60r becomes Fixed to frame 2.

With the above configuration, when the wheel is clamped from both sides by the rollers 11s and 11u, the center of the wheel coincides with the center of the clamping means, and the pantograph 5r or 5f
Are positioned symmetrically with respect to the reference center line CL.
The box 8 is also always symmetrically positioned with respect to the reference center line CL via the equalizer 4. Since the clamping means and the box 8 are relatively movable, the center of the box 8 does not always coincide with the center of the clamping means.

On the other hand, the center position of the pantograph 5m as the center positioning means of the wheel inspection unit 3m for the intermediate wheel is set on the slide 61. That is, a pair of guide rails 62 are disposed on the frame 2 in a direction orthogonal to the reference center line CL. A sliding body 61 is slidably provided on these guide rails 62. The center positions of the pantograph 5m and the equalizer 4m are disposed on the sliding body 61. Therefore, the pantograph 5m and the equalizer 4m can be displaced in the left-right direction indicated by the arrow C with respect to the reference center line CL by the sliding member 61.

Therefore, when the tread center of each of the three wheels of the vehicle is not aligned in a straight line, in the present inspection system, the center line of the vehicle is determined by the tread centers of the axles for the front wheels and the rear wheels, and the reference center line is determined. Aligned to GL. The center of the tread of the axle for the middle wheel is shifted to the left or right from the reference center line CL.
It is absorbed by the relative movement of 61 and rail 62. Therefore, even with a three-axle vehicle, the degree of inclination of each wheel can be measured with high accuracy with respect to a predetermined reference line. In this case, the displacement of the sliding body 61 from the reference center line CL is measured by a meter.
By measuring at 63, it is possible to measure the slip between the axes, that is, the deviation amount of the tread center.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the center positioning means for the intermediate wheel is configured to be displaceable left and right, but the center positioning means for the front wheel or the rear wheel is displaceable left and right. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which all the center positioning means can be displaced to the left and right and can be selectively locked in a predetermined position. Further, the inventive concept is, of course, applicable to inspection systems for vehicles having four or more axles.

Next, a description will be given of another feature of the present invention, that is, a double encoder configuration capable of independently measuring the inclination of the side surfaces on both sides of each wheel. This feature is particularly useful when measuring the degree of inclination of a wheel having a double wheel or double tire configuration.

First, referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, the wheel inspection system 1 for a two-axle vehicle shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 or the wheel inspection system 1 for a three-axle vehicle shown in FIGS. 6 to 9 will be described. 2 shows a detailed internal configuration of the wheel inspection device 3 for the rear wheel or the intermediate wheel provided in any of the above. When the front wheels of the vehicle have a double wheel or double tire configuration, it goes without saying that the wheel inspection device 3 can be applied to the front wheels.

As shown in FIG. 10, the wheel inspection device 3 has a box 8 as a base, and the box 8 extends in the lateral direction orthogonal to the reference center line CL as described above. Rail 12
It is provided slidably in the left-right direction on the top. Box 8
It is operatively connected to one end of an equalizer 4r via an arm 6. The bottom plate 8b of the box 8 is provided with a rectangular opening 8c at substantially the center thereof, and a pair of guide rails 32 is laid along both sides thereof. A pair of inner roller support 31u and outer roller support 31s are slidably mounted on the guide rail 32. Inner roller support 3
1u has a substantially T-shape, and a pair of inner contact rollers 11u are rotatably supported on the upper part thereof. The T-shaped support portion of the inner roller support 31u is rotatably mounted around a vertical axis relatively to a slide engaged with a guide rail 32 forming the pedestal. The angle can be detected by an inner angle detector 30ru provided in connection with the inner roller support 31u. Preferably,
The angle detector 30ru is a rotary encoder.

Similarly, the outer roller support 31s rotatably supports a pair of outer contact rollers 11s on its upper part. The T-shaped support portion of the outer roller support 31s is rotatably mounted around a vertical axis relative to the slide engaged with the guide rail 32 forming the pedestal. The angle can be detected by an outer angle detector 30rs provided in connection with the outer roller support 31s. Preferably, the angle detector 30rs is also a rotary encoder. Therefore, the inner contact roller 11u and the outer contact roller 11s
Are movable relatively close to and away from each other, and are rotatably supported around the vertical axis of the corresponding roller support 31.

The inner roller support 31u and the outer roller support 31s are operatively connected to both ends of the pantograph 33 for clamping. Further, a center plate 34 is mounted at an intermediate point of the clamping pantograph 33 via a combination of a rail and a sliding body. Therefore, the center plate 34 on which the rails are laid is always maintained at the center position of the pantograph 33 regardless of the expansion and contraction operation of the pantograph 33. The center plate 34 itself is slidably provided on the guide rail 32 as a sliding body. Therefore, the center plate 34
It is always maintained at an intermediate position between the inner and outer contact rollers 11u and 11s and defines the geometric center position of the roller clamping mechanism. A central column 35 is provided, which is integrally fixed to the central plate 34 and extends below the central plate 34. The central support 35 extends to the lower outside of the box 8 through an opening 8c formed in the bottom plate 8b of the box 8, and is operatively connected to the pantograph 5r via an arm.

As best shown in FIG. 15, a cylinder 36a of a clamping cylinder device is further fixed to this central support 35, and the tip of a rod 36b capable of moving forward and backward relative to the cylinder 36a is As best shown in FIG. 14, it is connected to an outer roller support 31s. Therefore, by driving the clamping cylinder 36a, it is possible to move the rod 36b forward or backward, and the clamping pantograph 33 is extended and retracted. As a result, the inner and outer contact rollers 11u and 11s relatively move. Moved closer and farther away. In this case, the position of the center plate 34 is always maintained at an intermediate position between the inner and outer rollers 11u and 11s, and the position of the center plate 34 is symmetrical with respect to the reference center line CL via the pantograph 5r. Automatically maintained in position. Therefore, when the clamping cylinder 36a is operated to move the inner and outer contact rollers 11u and 11s in a direction approaching each other, the wheel Wr located therebetween is clamped from both sides, and the respective contact rollers Is in contact with the corresponding side surface of the wheel Wr. In that state, the center position of the clamp mechanism (that is, the center plate
34) is aligned with the center position of the clamped wheel Wr, and the left and right wheels Wr are located at symmetric positions with respect to the reference center line CL. That is, the tread centers of the left and right wheels Wr are located on the reference center line CL. In FIGS. 12 and 13, the positions where the contact roller has advanced to the maximum are indicated by reference numerals 11u 'and 11s' with dashes.

As described above, in the wheel inspection device 3 for the rear wheel and the intermediate wheel, separate angle detectors 30ru and 30rs are provided for the inner roller support 31u and the outer roller support 31s, respectively. The inner angle detector 30ru is connected to the inner roller support 31.
The outer angle detector 30rs detects the rotation angle of the outer roller support 31s around the vertical axis in the roller support portion, while the outer angle detector 30rs detects the rotation angle of the outer roller support 31s around the vertical axis in the roller support portion. is there. Therefore, the inner and outer angle detectors 30ru and 30rs can detect rotation angles independently of each other. The inner contact roller 11u is in contact with the inner side surface of the wheel Wr, while the outer contact roller 11s is in contact with the outer side surface of the wheel Wr. Therefore, according to the wheel inspection device 3, the wheel Wr
It is possible to measure the degree of inclination of each of the inner and outer sides independently of each other.

The wheel inspection device 3 having such a double encoder configuration can exert an extremely effective effect particularly when the wheel Wr has a double wheel or double diamond configuration. That is, in the case of a double-wheel or double-tired wheel, a pair of auxiliary wheels or tires are juxtaposed and coaxially mounted adjacent to each other, as if they were a single wheel, instead of a single wheel. However, it is rare that such a pair of auxiliary wheels or tires are mounted with the same inclination or alignment. Inspection of such an inconsistency state at such a degree of inclination requires individual measurement of each sub-wheel or tire, but such inspection was conventionally impossible. .

In the wheel inspection device 3 having the double encoder configuration according to the present invention, since it is possible to independently measure the inclination of each of the inner and outer side surfaces of the wheel Wr, such a double wheel or double wheel is used. Wheel Wr with tire configuration
In this case, it is also possible to measure the degree of inclination of each auxiliary wheel or tire independently. Therefore, it is possible to detect which sub-wheel or tire is displaced from the required degree of inclination by how much.

Next, a description will be given of a floating configuration in which a wheel configured based on another feature of the present invention is movably supported in an arbitrary direction within a predetermined plane. In the present embodiment, this floating configuration is particularly shown in FIGS.
And FIGS. 17 to 20. First, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, four linear motion (LM) guide units are symmetrically arranged on the bottom plate 8b of the box body 8 in the front, rear, left and right directions. That is, each LM guide unit includes a pair of lower guide rails 46 fixedly laid on the bottom plate 8b, a lower slide 45b slidably mounted on the lower guide rail 46, and a lower slide 45b fixed on the lower slide 45b. An upper guide rail 45a laid down and extending orthogonal to the lower guide rail 46, and an upper sliding body 4 slidably mounted on the upper guide rail 45a.
4b. At the top of each upper sliding body 44b, a cylindrical projection 44a projecting upward is projected. Therefore, the projection 44a can perform a plane motion in an arbitrary direction over a predetermined range relative to the bottom plate 8b.

On the other hand, a substantially T-shaped support roller table or assembly 40 for rotatably supporting the pair of support rollers 15r is housed in the box 8 and positioned. Support roller assembly
At the bottom of 40, four circular holes 40a are formed corresponding to the respective projections 44a, and a rotary bearing 43 is mounted in each circular hole 40a. Secured to the bottom of 40. The inner ring of each rotating bearing 43 is inserted outside the corresponding projection 44a and integrated therewith. Accordingly, the support roller assembly 40 is generally capable of translating in any direction over a predetermined range and rotatable over a predetermined range. An example of the trajectory of the rotational movement of the support roller assembly 40 relative to the box 8 is shown in FIG.
This is indicated by B in the figure. As described above, since the support roller assembly 40 can perform translational and rotational movements in any direction relative to the box 8, the support roller assembly 40
40 is set in a floating state. Therefore, when measuring the inclination of the wheel supported on the support roller 15r, the wheel is maintained in a state capable of performing translational movement and rotational movement in any direction, so that the inclination of the wheel can be accurately measured. It is possible to measure.

As described above, by using the four LM guides to support the support roller assembly 40 in a floating state, no problem occurs even if the vehicle to be inspected is heavy. It is possible to keep each wheel floating. Further, by adopting the four-point support structure, it is possible to measure the dispersion of the force and to obtain a balanced floating operation, so that the inspection can be performed with high accuracy. In this embodiment, four LM guides are used, but at least three or more LM guides may be used. Furthermore, such a
Instead of using the LM guide, for example, the bottom plate 8b of the box 8
By interposing a plurality of rollers or balls or a sliding substance such as grease between the support roller assembly 40 and the support roller assembly 40, the support roller assembly 40 is A floating state capable of translation and rotation is also possible.

As described above, since the support roller assembly 40 is supported in a floating state relative to the box 8, an initial position lock mechanism 10 for locking the support roller assembly 40 to the initial position is provided. That is, a cylinder device 10a is provided rotatably and pivotally on the side wall of the box body 8, and a forward end and a rearward movable rod of the cylinder device 10a are provided at the distal end of the first lock arm 10b. Are rotatably connected. On the other hand, the base end of the cylinder of the cylinder device 10a is pivotally supported by the box 8, and the base end of the second lock arm 10c is rotatably connected. Further, a connection lever 10d is provided to rotatably connect the respective intermediate portions of the first lock arm 10b and the second lock arm 10c. Positioning rollers 10e are rotatably supported at the respective distal ends of the first and second lock arms 10b and 10c. On the other hand, a V-block member 41 protrudes from the center of the front end and the rear end of the support roller assembly 40, and is provided so as to be able to receive each corresponding positioning roller 10e.

Therefore, when the initial position lock device 10 is operated to be in the forward position, the positioning rollers 10e are moved in a direction approaching each other to engage with the corresponding V-block members 41, and the support roller assembly 40 is 8 is locked at an initial position substantially at the center. On the other hand, when the initial position lock device 10 is operated to be in the retreat position, the positioning roller 10e is in the retreat position shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, while the support roller assembly 40 is in the floating state, and the It is possible to freely perform translational and rotational movements within a predetermined range within the body 8.

In this wheel inspection device, it is possible to statically measure the inclination of the wheel Wr supported on the support roller 15r in a stationary state, or to dynamically measure the rotation of the wheel Wr while rotating the wheel Wr. It is. When the measurement is performed in the dynamic mode, the support roller 15r may be driven to rotate, or the support roller 15r may be supported in a free rotation state, and the wheel Wr may be driven and rotated by the vehicle engine. In this case, the wheel Wr
, The support roller 15r receives a reaction force from the wheel Wr, and as a result, the support roller assembly 40 is displaced in the direction of the reaction force. In order to absorb such a reaction force, a substantially U-shaped first engagement projection is provided at the front end of the support roller assembly 40.
On the other hand, a second engaging projection 48a which is engaged with the first engaging projection during operation protrudes from the support 48. The support 48 is fixed to an appropriate external member such as the frame 2, for example. This second engagement projection
48a is movable forward and backward, and if necessary, is advanced to pivotally engage with the first engagement protrusion 42 of the support roller assembly 40. For this purpose, an opening 8d is formed in the front side wall of the box 8, and the second engagement projection 48a can access the inside of the box 8 via the opening 8d.

Next, the roller lock device 50 of the support roller 15r will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 and 21. The support roller 15 is rotatably supported during operation, but is locked when the vehicle enters the inspection system and exits the inspection system. For this purpose, a roller lock device 50 is provided for each support roller 15r.
That is, the roller gear 5 is fixed to one end of each support roller 15r.
4 is provided, while an idle gear 55 that is always meshed with the roller gear 54 is provided. With these gears 54
A pair of lock gears 56 and 57 are provided on both sides of the meshing portion with the gear 55 and are always meshed with the roller gear 54. These lock gears 56 and 57 are roller gears 54.
A pair of links that are pivotally supported around the rotation axis of
It is rotatably supported on 52 and 53, respectively. And
A cylinder device including a cylinder 51a and a rod 51b is interposed between the ends of the pair of links 52 and 53 so as to be bridged. Therefore, by operating the cylinder device to bring the pair of lock gears 56 and 57 into engagement with both the roller gear 54 and the idle gear 55, the support roller 15r can be brought into the lock state (non-rotation state). It is possible. On the other hand, when the lock gears 56 and 57 are in the state shown in FIG. 21, the support roller 15r is set in a rotatable state.

Effects As described in detail above, according to the present invention, an improved wheel inspection system is provided. Further, a wheel inspection device capable of performing a dynamic or static inspection of each wheel and capable of measuring a toe angle, a camber, and other required degrees of inclination of a wheel with high accuracy is provided. .

In particular, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a wheel guide device having a predetermined multi-stage roller arrangement is provided, so that a vehicle to be inspected can be smoothly and stably guided into the wheel inspection device. In addition, by setting the vehicle at a predetermined inspection position, each wheel can be automatically set at a position symmetrical with respect to a predetermined reference line. Further, even in the case where the wheel is a so-called double wheel or a wheel having a configuration called a double diamond, according to the wheel guide device of the present invention, the wheel can be quickly and stably fixed to a predetermined position of the wheel inspection device. It is possible to guide to the inspection position. By using the wheel guide device of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the size of the wheel inspection device, and in particular, it is possible to minimize the width dimension.

According to the second feature of the present invention, not only the wheel inspection unit for the front wheel and the rear wheel, but also a wheel inspection unit for the intermediate wheel is provided therebetween, and the respective wheel inspection units are independent of each other. Therefore, the alignment or inclination of each wheel of the three-axle vehicle can be measured with high accuracy and simultaneously. In particular, the wheel inspection unit for the middle wheel and the wheel inspection unit for the rear wheel are positioned adjacent to each other in a side-by-side relationship, and the connecting means for operatively connecting the left and right wheel inspection devices of the wheel inspection unit for the intermediate wheel is wheel-advancing. Since the connecting means arranged forward in the direction and operatively connecting the left and right wheel inspection devices of the wheel inspection unit for the rear wheels is arranged in the front in the vehicle traveling direction, the wheel inspection system for a three-axle vehicle is entirely It is possible to reduce the size. Further, since the wheel inspection unit for the intermediate wheel is disposed adjacent to the wheel inspection unit for the rear wheel, there is no need to provide a wheel guide device for each wheel inspection device of the wheel inspection unit for the intermediate wheel. .

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a double encoder configuration having a pair of inner and outer angle detectors associated with respective inner and outer clamp rollers for clamping opposite sides of the wheel to be inspected. Therefore, it is possible to inspect each side surface of the wheel independently of each other and measure the degree of inclination, and it is possible to perform extremely accurate measurement. If it is desired to measure the overall inclination of the wheel, the respective measurements from the inner and outer angle detectors may be averaged. As described above, since it is possible to independently inspect each side of the wheel, it is possible to discover that some abnormality exists on one side, and it is possible to detect not only the inclination but also the wheel. It is also possible to detect other related abnormal situations. In particular, this feature is that when a wheel is a double wheel or a wheel having a double tire configuration, measurement of the degree of inclination or the like is performed independently for each of a pair of auxiliary wheels or tires constituting the wheel. Is possible. Therefore, dynamic or static measurement of a wheel having a double wheel or a double tire configuration can be performed with high accuracy.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an improved floating device for setting a wheel to be inspected in a floating state. According to this floating device, even for heavy vehicles such as trucks and buses,
It is possible to establish a floating state smoothly and stably. Furthermore, in this floating device, since only the LM guide and the rotary bearing are used, the configuration is simple and the manufacturing is simple.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a wheel inspection system for inspecting a wheel of a two-axle vehicle in which a rear wheel configured according to an embodiment of the present invention is a double wheel or a wheel having a double tire configuration, 2 is a schematic front view of the wheel inspection system shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is provided in the wheel inspection system shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and is configured based on one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the wheel inspection device shown in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of the wheel inspection device shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view showing a wheel inspection system for a three-axle vehicle constructed based on one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a schematic front view of the wheel inspection system shown in FIG. Figure,
FIG. 8 is a schematic partial enlarged view showing an arrangement state of left wheel inspection devices for intermediate wheels and rear wheels in the wheel inspection system shown in FIG. 6, and FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of the configuration shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing a wheel inspection apparatus provided in the wheel inspection system shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 and configured according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. Is the tenth
FIG. 12 is a schematic enlarged perspective view showing an arrangement state of the wheel inspection device shown in the figure in a box body, FIG. 12 is a schematic partial enlarged view showing in detail a part of the configuration of the wheel inspection device shown in FIG. 13
FIG. 14 is a schematic plan view showing in detail a roller clamp mechanism provided in the wheel inspection device shown in FIG. 10, FIG. 14 is a schematic front view of the roller clamp mechanism shown in FIG.
The figure is a schematic side view of the roller clamp mechanism shown in FIG. 13,
FIG. 16 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of a support roller assembly provided in the wheel inspection device shown in FIG. 10,
17 is a schematic plan view of the support roller assembly shown in FIG. 16, FIG. 18 is a partially cutaway schematic front view of the support roller assembly,
19 is a schematic right side view of the support roller assembly, FIG. 20 is a schematic left side view of the support roller assembly, and FIG. 21 is a schematic view showing a roller lock device incorporated in the support roller assembly. . (Explanation of symbols) 3f: Wheel inspection unit for front wheel 3m: Wheel inspection unit for middle wheel 3r: Wheel inspection unit for rear wheel 4: Equalizer 5: Pantograph 8: Box 9: Clamp mechanism 10: Initial position lock device 11: Lower contact roller 72: Upper contact roller 15: Support roller 18: Central roller 19: First side roller 20u: Second side roller 20l: Auxiliary roller 30: Angle detector 31: Roller support 33: Pantograph for clamping 36 : Cylinder device for clamp 40: Support roller assembly 50: Roller lock device

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G01M 17/00-17/007 G01B 7/30 G01B 21/22

Claims (9)

(57) [Claims] 1. A support means for supporting a wheel thereon, a first contact means capable of contacting a first side face of the wheel supported on the support means, and a second side face opposite to the first side face. Clamp means for clamping the wheel from both sides by means of the first and second contact means,
A wheel inspection device comprising: a first angle detection unit linked to the first contact unit; and a second angle detection unit linked to the second contact unit. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said wheel is a double wheel having a pair of first and second sub wheels arranged adjacent to each other on a common shaft, and said first side surface is formed by said first side surface. One side surface of one sub-wheel and the side surface opposite to the second sub-wheel, and the second side surface is one side surface of the second sub-wheel and opposite to the first sub-wheel. A wheel inspection device, characterized in that it is a side surface of the wheel. 3. A wheel inspection according to claim 1, wherein said clamping means performs a clamping operation only in a direction which is always orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of a vehicle on which said wheel is mounted. apparatus. 4. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the front-rear direction of the vehicle is a straight line connecting an intermediate position between a center position of a left wheel and a center position of a right wheel of the vehicle. A wheel inspection device characterized by the above-mentioned. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said support means has a pair of support rollers which are juxtaposed in the front-rear direction and rotatably supported. Wheel inspection device. 6. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein each of said first and second contact means is rotatably supported and rolls on a corresponding side surface of said wheel. A wheel inspection device comprising a pair of contact rollers to be contacted. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said clamp means supports first support means for supporting said first contact means, and said second contact means for supporting said first contact means. A second supporting means, a third supporting means movably supporting the first and second supporting means along a predetermined linear path,
A driving unit for driving the first support unit and the second support unit in a direction approaching or separating from each other along the linear path. 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein
A pantograph connected to the supporting means and the second supporting means, wherein when the wheel is clamped, an intermediate position of the pantograph corresponds to a center position of the wheel. . 9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said driving means is a cylinder device having a cylinder and a rod, and said cylinder and rod are positioned at an intermediate position of said pantograph and said first and second support means. A wheel inspection device interposed between one of the two.