JP7444486B2 - tire testing equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tire testing device.

Tire wear tests to evaluate tire wear properties include a driving test in which a test tire is mounted on an actual vehicle and driven on an actual road surface under predetermined conditions to examine the tire wear that occurs during this test. There is a bench test (simulation test), as described in Document 1 , in which the tire is grounded on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum (simulated road surface) and the rotating drum and tire are rotated to wear the tire.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 57-91440

An object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a tire testing device that can apply torque fluctuations to a specimen.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a rotating drum having a simulated road surface provided on its outer periphery, a rotary drive unit including a first electric motor that rotationally drives the rotating drum, and a test tire being grounded on the simulated road surface. A tire holding part that rotatably holds the tire, a torque generating part that generates a torque that provides braking force or driving force to the test tire, and a relay part that relays power transmission from the rotational driving part to the torque generating part, The torque generating section includes a rotatably supported case and a second electric motor attached to the case, the rotation driving section rotationally drives the case of the torque generating section, and the relay section is coupled to the rotating drum. A tire testing device is provided, which includes a shaft and a gear box that connects the shaft and a case of a torque generating section, and in which the shaft and the torque generating section are arranged side by side.

In the tire testing device described above, the gear box may include a first gear coupled to the shaft and a second gear coupled to the case of the torque generating section and meshed with the first gear.

In the tire testing device described above, the test tire is connected to the shaft of the second electric motor,
The rotating drum, the relay section, and the torque generating section may be connected in an annular manner via the test tire to form a power circulation circuit.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a rotating drum provided with a simulated road surface on the outer periphery, a rotary drive unit including a first electric motor that rotationally drives the rotating drum, and a test tire grounded on the simulated road surface. A pair of tire holders that rotatably hold the tires in the same state, a pair of torque generators that generate torque that provides braking or driving force to each test tire, and a relay that relays power transmission from the rotary drive unit to each torque generator. the torque generating section includes a rotatably supported case and a second electric motor attached to the case, the rotation driving section rotationally drives the case of the torque generating section; A tire testing device is provided, in which a relay part includes a shaft coupled to a rotating drum, and a gear box that connects the shaft and a case of each torque generating part, and the shaft and a pair of torque generating parts are arranged side by side. be done.

In the above tire testing device, the gear box may include a first gear coupled to the shaft, and a pair of second gears coupled to the case of each torque generating section and meshed with the first gear. .

In the above tire testing device, the test tire is connected to the shaft of the corresponding second electric motor, and the rotating drum, the relay section, and each torque generating section are connected in a ring through the corresponding test tire to form a power circulation circuit. A configuration may also be used.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a tire testing device capable of applying torque fluctuation to a specimen is provided.

1 is a plan view of a tire testing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a front view of a tire testing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a right side view of a tire testing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a left side view of a tire testing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control system. It is an external view of a simulated road surface unit. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the simulated road surface unit. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the torque generating section. It is a side view of a camber adjustment mechanism. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a two-dimensional profile of a tire tread. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a lubricant dispersing device. It is a top view of the tire testing device concerning a 2nd embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view of the tire testing device concerning a 2nd embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, in the following description, the same or corresponding components are given the same or corresponding reference numerals, and overlapping description will be omitted.

1 to 4 are, in order, a plan view, a front view, a right side view, and a left side view of a tire testing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Note that for convenience of explanation, a part of the tire testing apparatus 1 is omitted in FIGS. 2 to 4. Moreover, FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the control system 1a of the tire testing apparatus 1.

In the following explanation, as shown by coordinates in Figure 1, the direction from left to right in Figure 1 is the X-axis direction, the direction from the bottom to the top is the Y-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to the paper surface, facing either the back or the front. is defined as the Z-axis direction. The X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction are horizontal directions orthogonal to each other, and the Z-axis direction is a vertical direction.

The tire testing device 1 rotates the rotating drum 22 and the test tire T for a predetermined period of time (for example, 24 hours) with the test tire T in contact with a simulated road surface 23b provided on the outer periphery of the rotating drum 22, thereby testing the test tire. This device is capable of performing a bench test on tires that wears out tires under conditions similar to actual driving tests. The tire testing device 1 of this embodiment achieves high energy utilization efficiency by employing an electric motor and a power circulation system in the drive system. Furthermore, by employing a torque generating device to be described later, it is possible to provide dedicated motors for the two functions of rotational drive and torque application, and to perform rotational control and torque control independently. This makes it possible to perform torque control with a high degree of freedom and high precision, and also to reduce the capacity of the electric motor, making it possible to downsize the test equipment and reduce power consumption. Furthermore, by using an ultra-low inertia servo motor with excellent acceleration performance in the torque generator, it is possible to accurately reproduce torque fluctuations with high frequency components during sudden starts and sudden braking.

The tire testing device 1 includes a tire holding section 10 that holds the test tire T, a road surface section 20 having a simulated road surface 23b on which the test tire T comes into contact with the ground, a rotary drive section 30 that rotationally drives a power circulation circuit, and a tire holding section 10 that holds the test tire T. The torque generator 50 includes a torque generator 50 that generates braking force and driving force to be applied to the engine, and a relay unit 40 that relays power transmission from the rotary drive unit 30 to the torque generator 50. The tire testing apparatus 1 also includes a first connecting means (drive shaft 62) that connects the rotary drive section 30 and the relay section 40, and a second connecting means (V belt) that connects the relay section 40 and the torque generating section 50. 66), and a third connecting means (constant velocity joint 64) that connects the torque generating section 50 and the tire holding section 10 (spindle 152). The road surface section 20, the rotary drive section 30, the relay section 40, the torque generating section 50, and the spindle section 15 of the tire holding section 10, which will be described later, are connected in an annular manner via the test tire T to form a power circulation circuit. .

In this embodiment, the rotary drum 22 is arranged with its rotation axis facing the Y-axis direction, but for example, The rotation axis of the rotary drum 22 may be oriented in a direction forming an angle of .degree. In that case, the orientation and arrangement of the other parts of the tire testing device 1 are also changed depending on the orientation of the rotating drum 22.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, the control system 1a of the tire testing device 1 includes a central control section 70 that controls the operation of the entire testing device, and various types of controls based on signals from various sensors provided in the tire testing device 1. It includes a measuring section 80 that performs measurements, and an interface section 90 that performs input/output with the outside.

As shown in FIG. 1-4, the road surface section 20 includes a rotating drum 22, a simulated road surface section 23 provided on the outer periphery of the rotating drum 22, and a bearing section 24 that rotatably supports the shaft 22a of the rotating drum 22. It is equipped with The bearing section 24 includes a rotary encoder 241 (FIG. 5) that detects the number of rotations of the rotating drum 22. The simulated road surface section 23 of this embodiment is formed by a plurality of simulated road surface units 231 (FIGS. 6 and 7) arranged circumferentially around the outer periphery of the rotating drum 22 without gaps.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the simulated road surface unit 231 attached to the outer periphery of the rotating drum 22. Further, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the simulated road surface unit 231 taken along the cutting plane AA' shown in FIG. The simulated road surface unit 231 is constructed by sandwiching the simulated road surface body 231b between the frame 231a, the simulated road surface body 231b (231b1, 231b2) fitted into a recess 231ad formed on the surface of the frame 231a, and the frame 231a. A pair of left and right pressing plates 231c are provided. The holding plate 231c is fixed to the frame 231a with a plurality of flat head screws 231d. In addition, through holes 231ah are formed at both ends of the frame 231a in the width direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 7), through which bolts for fixing the simulated road surface unit 231 to the rotating drum 22 are passed.

The simulated road surface 23b is formed by the surfaces of a plurality of simulated road surfaces 231b arranged in the circumferential direction. The simulated road surface body 231b of this embodiment includes two circumferentially extending portions (a first portion 231b1 on the left half and a second portion 231b2 on the right half in FIG. 7) made of different materials. The first portion 231b1 forms a first travel lane 23b1, which will be described later, and the second portion 231b2 forms a second travel lane 23b2.

Note that the entire simulated road surface body 231b may be uniformly formed from a single material. The simulated road surface body 231b of this embodiment is formed into a cylindrical shape with a smooth surface. The surface may be provided with irregularities in the circumferential direction (or in both the circumferential direction and the width direction) by changing the irregularities uniformly or randomly.

Further, in this embodiment, the pre-formed simulated road surface body 231b is attached to the frame 231a by the holding plate 231c, but the simulated road surface body 231b is provided with through holes through which bolts for fixing to the frame 231a are passed. The simulated road surface body 231b may be directly attached to the frame 231a with bolts. Alternatively, the simulated road surface body 231b may be fixed to the surface of the simulated road surface unit 231 by filling the recess 231ad with a plastic material such as concrete or a hardening resin and hardening the material.

The simulated road surface body 231b is made by applying hardening resin such as urethane resin or epoxy resin to aggregate made by crushing ceramics with excellent wear resistance such as silicon carbide or alumina (and polishing as necessary). This is a member that has been molded and hardened with a binder added thereto.

In this embodiment, the simulated road surface 23b is divided into two travel lanes (a first travel lane 23b1 and a second travel lane 23b2) in the axial direction (width direction) of the rotating drum 22. In this embodiment, two driving lanes are formed on the simulated road surface 23b, but a single driving lane or three or more driving lanes may be formed. The two driving lanes 23b1 and 23b2 of the simulated road surface 23b are formed by changing the particle size and amount of aggregate used. The first driving lane 23b1 on the right side when facing the driving direction is a simulated road surface that simulates a smooth road surface such as an asphalt paved road surface, and the second driving lane 23b2 on the left side is a simulated road surface that simulates a rough road surface such as cobblestone pavement. be. By switching the driving lanes 23b1 and 23b2 of the simulated road surface 23b on which the test tire T is grounded, the road surface conditions can be changed. The driving lane is switched by a traverse mechanism 11 (driving lane switching mechanism) of the tire holding section 10, which will be described later.

The rotation drive section 30 includes a motor 32 and a power coupling section 34 that couples the power output from the motor 32 to a power circulation circuit. The motor 32 is driven and controlled by an inverter circuit 32a (FIG. 5). The shaft 32b of the motor 32 is coupled to the input shaft 34a of the power coupling section 34. One end 34b1 of the output shaft 34b of the power coupling section 34 is coupled to the shaft 22a of the rotating drum 22, and the other end 34b2 of the output shaft 34b is coupled to one end of the drive shaft 62. The output shaft 34b of the power coupling portion 34 constitutes a part of the power circulation circuit, and the output shaft of the motor 32 is coupled to the power circulation circuit via the power coupling portion 34. That is, the motor 32 rotationally drives the power circulation circuit, and the rotation speed of the power circulation circuit is controlled.

The relay section 40 includes a gear box 42, a drive pulley 44, a bearing section 45 that rotatably supports the shaft of the drive pulley 44, and a tension pulley that applies a predetermined tension to the V-belt 66 wound around the drive pulley 44. 46, and a bearing portion 47 that rotatably supports the shaft of the tension pulley 46.

The gear box 42 includes a first gear 42a coupled to the other end of the drive shaft 62, and a second gear 42b meshing with the first gear 42a. The second gear 42b is coupled to the shaft of the drive pulley 44. In this embodiment, since the number of teeth of the first gear 42a and the second gear 42b is the same, the gear box 42 converts the rotation input from the drive shaft 62 into rotation at a constant speed in the opposite direction to drive the gear. The signal is transmitted to the pulley 44.

The first gear 42a and the second gear 42b can be replaced with gears having a different number of teeth (diameter). For example, the rotation speed may be increased or decreased by the gear box 42 by giving a difference in the number of teeth of the first gear 42a and the second gear 42b. In order to make it possible to change the number of teeth of the first gear 42a and the second gear 42b, the distance between the rotation axes of the first gear 42a and the second gear 42b can be changed. Specifically, the position of the rotation axis of the second gear 42b is fixed, and the position of the rotation axis of the first gear 42a moves laterally (in the distance direction from the second gear 42b, that is, in the X-axis direction). It is now possible. When changing the number of teeth of each gear, the position of the rotating shaft of the first gear 42a is moved laterally to adjust the engagement with the second gear 42b. The rotary drive unit 30 (specifically, the other end 34b2 of the output shaft 34b of the power coupling unit 34) and the first gear 42a are connected by a drive shaft 62 having a variable length and having a universal joint 621 at both ends. ing. Therefore, even if the first gear 42a moves laterally, no distortion occurs in the drive shaft 62 or the first gear 42a, and smooth rotation of the power circulation circuit is maintained.

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the torque generating section 50 (torque generating device). The torque generating section 50 includes an outer cylinder 51 (case), a servo motor 52, a reducer 53, and a shaft 54 installed in the outer cylinder 51, and three bearing parts 55, 55 that rotatably support the outer cylinder 51. , 56, a slip ring portion 57 (slip ring 57a, brush 57b), a bearing portion 58 that rotatably supports the slip ring 57a, and a driven pulley 59.

In this embodiment, the servo motor 52 is an ultra-low inertia, high output type AC servo motor with a rotating part having a moment of inertia of 0.01 kg·m ² or less and a rated output of 7 kW to 37 kW. As shown in FIG. 5, the servo motor 52 is connected to a central control unit 70 via a servo amplifier 52a.

The outer cylinder 51 has a cylindrical motor accommodating portion 512 and a reducer holding portion 513 having a large diameter, and substantially cylindrical shaft portions 514 and 516 having a small diameter. A shaft portion 514 is coupled to one end (right end in FIG. 8) of the motor accommodating portion 512 coaxially (that is, so that the rotational axes thereof coincide). Further, a shaft portion 516 is coaxially coupled to the other end (left end in FIG. 8) of the motor housing portion 512 via a reducer holding portion 513. The shaft portion 514 is rotatably supported by a bearing portion 56, and the shaft portion 516 is rotatably supported by a pair of bearing portions 55.

A driven pulley 59 coupled to the shaft portion 516 is disposed between the pair of bearing portions 55 . The outer cylinder 51 is rotationally driven by a V-belt 66 (FIG. 1) wrapped around the drive pulley 44 of the relay section 40 via a driven pulley 59.

Bearings 517 are provided at both ends of the inner periphery of the shaft portion 516 . The shaft 54 is inserted into a hollow portion of the shaft portion 516 and is rotatably supported by the shaft portion 516 via a pair of bearings 517 . The shaft 54 passes through the shaft portion 516 , one end of which projects into the reducer holding portion 513 , and the other end of which projects to the outside of the outer cylinder 51 .

The servo motor 52 is housed in the hollow part of the motor housing part 512. The servo motor 52 has a shaft 521 disposed coaxially with the motor accommodating part 512 , and a motor case is fixed to the motor accommodating part 512 by a plurality of rods 523 . Further, the flange 522 of the servo motor 52 is coupled to the gear case 53a of the reduction gear 53 via a connecting tube 524. Further, the gear case 53a of the reducer 53 is fixed to the inner flange 513a of the reducer holding portion 513.

A shaft 521 of the servo motor 52 is connected to an input shaft 531 of the reducer 53. Further, a shaft 54 is connected to an output shaft 532 of the reducer 53. Torque output from the servo motor 52 is amplified by the reduction gear 53 and transmitted to the shaft 54. The rotation of the shaft 54 is the sum of the rotation of the outer cylinder 51 driven by the motor 32 of the rotary drive section 30 and the rotation driven by the servo motor 52.

A slip ring 57a is connected to the shaft portion 514 of the outer cylinder 51. Further, the brush 57b that contacts the slip ring 57a is supported by a fixed frame 58a of the bearing portion 58. A cable 525 of the servo motor 52 is passed through the hollow portion of the shaft portion 514 and connected to the slip ring 57a. Further, the brush 57b is connected to a servo amplifier 52a (FIG. 5). That is, the servo motor 52 and the servo amplifier 52a are connected via the slip ring portion 57.

Next, the configuration of the tire holding section 10 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1-3 and 9. FIG. 9 is a rear view (partial sectional view) of the tire holding part 10. The tire holding unit 10 is a mechanical unit that rotatably holds the test tire T while grounding the test tire T in a predetermined alignment with respect to the simulated road surface 23b and applying a predetermined load. The tire holding section 10 includes four base plates 101, 102, 103, and 104 stacked one above the other, and a spindle section 15 that rotatably holds the test tire T. The tire holding section 10 also includes a traverse mechanism 11, a camber angle adjustment mechanism 12, a tire load adjustment mechanism 13, and a slip angle adjustment mechanism 14 as alignment mechanisms for the test tire T. The alignment mechanism is a mechanism that can adjust the alignment of the test tire T with respect to the simulated road surface 23b by changing the position or direction of the spindle portion 15.

The traverse mechanism 11 (driving lane switching mechanism) moves the position of the test tire T in the axial direction by moving the base plate 102 in the Y-axis direction with respect to the base plate 101, thereby creating a simulated road surface 23b on which the test tire T is brought into contact with the ground. This is a mechanism for switching the driving lanes 23b1 and 23b2. The traverse mechanism 11 includes a plurality of linear guides 111 that guide the base plate 102 in the axial direction (Y-axis direction) of the rotating drum 22 with respect to the base plate 101, a servo motor 112 that drives the base plate 102, and a rotational movement of the servo motor 112. It is equipped with a ball screw 113 (feed screw mechanism) that converts the motion into linear motion in the Y-axis direction. Note that the ball screw 113 includes a screw shaft 113a and a nut 113b.

Furthermore, each linear guide 111 includes a rail 111a and one or more carriages 111b that can run on the rail 111a via rolling elements (not shown). The rail 111a of the linear guide 111 is attached to the upper surface of the base plate 101, and the carriage 111b is attached to the lower surface of the base plate 102. That is, the base plate 101 and the base plate 102 are connected via a plurality of linear guides 111 so as to be slidable in the Y-axis direction.

Furthermore, a servo motor 112 is attached to the base plate 101 with its axis oriented in the Y-axis direction. The shaft of the servo motor 112 is coupled to a screw shaft 113a of a ball screw 113, and a nut 113b is attached to the lower surface of the base plate 102. By driving the servo motor 112, the base plate 102 moves in the Y-axis direction with respect to the base plate 101. As a result, the position of the test tire T with respect to the rotating drum 22 moves in the Y-axis direction, and the driving lanes 23b1 and 23b2 of the simulated road surface 23b on which the test tire T touches the ground are switched.

As shown in FIG. 5, the servo motor 112 is connected to the central control unit 70 via a servo amplifier 112a. The driving lane switching operation by the servo motor 112 is controlled by the central control unit 70.

FIG. 9 is a rear view showing the upper part of the tire holding part 10. The camber angle adjustment mechanism 12 is a mechanism that adjusts the camber angle of the test tire T by rotating the base plate 103 with respect to the base plate 102 around the Z axis. The camber angle adjustment mechanism 12 includes a shaft 121 that extends vertically, a bearing 122 that rotatably supports the shaft 121, a curved guide 123 that guides the rotation of the base plate 103 about the shaft 121, and a shaft that extends in the Y-axis direction. It is equipped with a servo motor 124 attached to the base plate 102 in the direction of the Y-axis, and a ball screw 125 (feed screw mechanism) that converts the rotational movement of the servo motor 124 into linear movement in the Y-axis direction.

The shaft 121 is attached to the base plate 103 and the bearing 122 is attached to the base plate 102. The bearing 122 is provided with a rotary encoder 122a (camber angle detection means) shown in FIG. 5, which detects the angular position (ie, camber angle) of the shaft 121. Further, the shaft 121 is disposed directly below the ground contact surface of the rotating drum 22 on which the test tire T is in contact with the ground. Specifically, the center line (rotation axis) of the shaft 121 is a straight line passing through a ground plane perpendicular to the spindle 152. The curved guide 123 includes a rail 123a extending in an arc shape concentric with the shaft 121, and a carriage 123b that can run on the rail 123a via rolling elements (not shown). The rail 123a is attached to the upper surface of the base plate 102, and the carriage 123b is attached to the lower surface of the base plate 103. Further, the screw shaft 125a of the ball screw 125 is coupled to the shaft of the servo motor 124, and the nut 125b is attached to the base plate 103 via a hinge 126 that is swingable around a vertical axis. By driving the servo motor 124, the base plate 103 turns around the shaft 121, and the camber angle of the test tire T changes.

As shown in FIG. 5, the servo motor 124 is connected to the central control unit 70 via a servo amplifier 124a. The camber angle adjustment operation by the servo motor 124 is controlled by the central control unit 70.

The tire load adjustment mechanism 13 moves the test tire T in the radial direction by moving the base plate 104 in the X-axis direction with respect to the base plate 103, and adjusts the vertical load (ground pressure) applied to the test tire T. It is a mechanism. The tire load adjustment mechanism 13 includes a plurality of linear guides 131 that guide the base plate 104 with respect to the base plate 103 in the radial direction (X-axis direction) of the rotating drum 22, a servo motor 132 that drives the base plate 104, and a servo motor 132. It is equipped with a ball screw 133 (feed screw mechanism) that converts rotational motion into linear motion in the X-axis direction.

The linear guide 131 includes a rail 131a extending in the X-axis direction and a carriage 131b that can run on the rail via rolling elements. The rail 131a of the linear guide 131 is attached to the upper surface of the base plate 103, and the carriage 131b is attached to the lower surface of the base plate 104.

Furthermore, a servo motor 132 is attached to the base plate 103 with its axis oriented in the X-axis direction. The shaft of the servo motor 132 is coupled to a screw shaft 133a of a ball screw 133, and a nut 133b is attached to the base plate 104. By driving the servo motor 132, the base plate 104 moves in the X-axis direction with respect to the base plate 103 together with the nut 133b. As a result, the distance between the axes of the rotating drum 22 and the test tire T changes, and the load on the test tire T changes.

As shown in FIG. 5, the servo motor 132 is connected to the central control unit 70 via a servo amplifier 132a. The load adjustment operation of the test tire T by the servo motor 132 is controlled by the central control unit 70.

The slip angle adjustment mechanism 14 tilts the rotation axis of the test tire T around the X axis with respect to the rotation axis of the rotary drum 22 by rotating the spindle part 15 around the X axis with respect to the base plate 104. This is a mechanism to adjust the slip angle of the T.

The slip angle adjustment mechanism 14 has a shaft 141 that is fixed at one end to a spindle case 154 (bearing section) of the spindle section 15 and extends in the Y-axis direction, and a shaft 141 that extends around the X-axis (that is, around an axis perpendicular to the ground plane). ), a servo motor 143, and a ball screw 144 (feed screw mechanism). The bearing section 142 includes a rotary encoder 142a (FIG. 5) that detects the angular position of the shaft 141 (ie, the slip angle of the test tire T). The center line (rotation axis) of the shaft 141 passes approximately through the center of the wheel portion 156 and is arranged perpendicular to the rotation axis of the wheel portion 156. The servo motor 143 is attached to the base plate 104 via a hinge 143b that is swingable around the Y axis, with the axis oriented substantially in the Z axis direction. The shaft of the servo motor 143 is coupled to a screw shaft 144a of a ball screw 144. In addition, the nut 144b of the ball screw 144 is attached to one end of the spindle case 154 in the X-axis direction (a location away from the center of the shaft 141 in the X-axis direction) via a hinge 146 that can swing around the Y-axis. It is being

By driving the servo motor 143 and moving the nut 144b of the ball screw 144 up and down, the spindle case 154 rotates together with the shaft 141. As a result, the slip angle of the test tire T held by the spindle portion 15 changes.

As shown in FIG. 5, the servo motor 143 is connected to the central control unit 70 via a servo amplifier 143a. The slip angle adjustment operation by the servo motor 143 is controlled by the central control unit 70.

The spindle section 15 includes a spindle 152, a spindle case 154 (bearing section) that rotatably supports the spindle 152, and a wheel section 156 coaxially attached to one end of the spindle 152. The test tire T is mounted on the wheel portion 156. The spindle 152 includes a torque sensor 152a that detects the torque applied to the test tire T, and a 3-component force applied to the test tire T (i.e., a force in the X-axis direction [Radial Force; load], a force in the Y-axis direction [Lateral Force; A three-component force sensor 152b (FIG. 5) is provided to detect lateral force] and force in the Z-axis direction [Tractive Force; tangential force]. The spindle case 154 also includes a rotary encoder 154b (FIG. 5) that detects the rotational speed of the spindle (that is, the test tire T). Since the torque sensor 152a and the three-component force sensor 152b both use piezoelectric elements, the spindle 152 and the spindle case 154 have high rigidity, which enables highly accurate measurement. Further, the wheel portion 156 includes an air pressure sensor 156a (FIG. 5) that detects the air pressure of the test tire T.

The tire holding unit 10 includes a tire temperature adjustment system 18 (only the air blow duct 182a is shown in FIG. 2) that adjusts the temperature of the test tire T by applying cold air or hot air to the test tire T. The temperature of the test tire T (especially the temperature of the tread surface) during the test (during running) influences the test result (amount of wear). Therefore, it is desirable to maintain the temperature of the tread surface of the test tire T within a certain temperature range (for example, 35±5° C.) during the test. Furthermore, in measuring the wear amount of the test tire T, which will be described later, the temperature of the test tire T also influences the measurement results. In order to accurately measure the amount of wear, it is necessary to adjust the temperature of the test tire T to a predetermined reference temperature (for example, 25° C.) during measurement. Therefore, using the tire temperature adjustment system 18, the temperature of the test tire T is adjusted to a set temperature during testing and when measuring the amount of wear.

The tire temperature adjustment system 18 (FIG. 5) includes a control section 181, a spot air conditioner 182, and a temperature sensor 183. The temperature sensor 183 is a non-contact temperature sensor (radiation thermometer) that measures the temperature of the tread surface of the test tire T, and is arranged opposite to the tread surface. Based on the measurement result of the temperature sensor 183, the control unit 181 controls the operation of the spot air conditioner 182 to blow cold air or warm air onto the tread surface of the test tire T so that the deviation from the set temperature is eliminated. Or blow air at room temperature. The set temperature of the test tire T can be set to different values during the test (during running) and when measuring the amount of wear. Furthermore, different temperature settings can be set depending on the type of test tire T. Furthermore, the tire temperature control system 18 may be further provided with a temperature sensor for measuring room temperature, and the operation of the spot air conditioner 182 may be controlled based on the room temperature and the temperature of the test tire T.

Note that the tire temperature adjustment system 18 of this embodiment is configured to adjust the temperature of the test tire T by blowing hot air or cold air onto the test tire T using the spot air conditioner 182. The tire temperature control system is not limited to this configuration. For example, a cover (constant temperature room) surrounding the entire test tire T may be provided, and the temperature of the test tire T may be adjusted by adjusting the air temperature inside the cover.

Further, the temperature setting during the test may be set according to the climate of the region where the tire is used. Additionally, tire wear is accelerated by increased temperature. Therefore, an accelerated deterioration test can also be performed by using the tire temperature adjustment system 18 to adjust the temperature of the test tire T during the test to be higher than the temperature of the tire during normal running.

The tire holding unit 10 also includes a two-dimensional laser displacement sensor 17 (hereinafter abbreviated as "displacement sensor 17") used to measure the amount of wear on the tread of the test tire T. The displacement sensor 17 uses a laser beam (laser light sheet) spread out into a strip by a cylindrical lens to measure the two-dimensional profile (cross-sectional shape cut along a plane containing the rotational axis of the tire) of the tread surface of the test tire T. Measure without contact.

As shown in FIG. 5, the displacement sensor 17 is connected to the measuring section 80, and functions together with the measuring section 80 as a wear measuring section. The measurement unit 80 controls the operation of the displacement sensor 17 and calculates the amount of wear of the test tire T based on the two-dimensional profile acquired by the displacement sensor 17.

The two-dimensional profile measurement by the wear measurement unit is performed with the test tire T stationary before and after the tire test (additionally in the middle of the test). Based on the two-dimensional profiles measured before and after (and during) the test, the amount of wear on the test tire T caused by the test is calculated. As mentioned above, the measured value of the amount of tire wear is affected by the tire temperature, so when measuring after the test is finished (or stopped), natural heat dissipation or forced cooling by the tire temperature control system 18 is performed. It is desirable to perform the test after the entire tire reaches a predetermined reference temperature.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a two-dimensional profile of the tread surface of the test tire T obtained by two-dimensional profile measurement using a wear measurement unit. In FIG. 10, the horizontal axis (Y) indicates the position of the test tire T in the width direction, and the vertical axis (H) indicates the position of the groove of the test tire T in the height direction (radial direction of the test tire T). The test tire T has four grooves G1, G2, G3, and G4 extending in the circumferential direction. Through image analysis of the two-dimensional profile, the U-shaped concave portions of the two-dimensional profile are associated with the respective grooves G1 to G4.

In addition, neighboring regions L1 and R1, L2 and R2, L3 and R3, and L4 and R4 are set in predetermined ranges on both sides of each groove G1 to G4 in the width direction (Y-axis direction), respectively. Hereinafter, the n-th groove will be indicated by the symbol Gn, and the regions near the groove Gn will be indicated by the symbols Ln and Rn. Further, a region near the groove Gn on the negative side of the horizontal axis (left side in FIG. 10) is called a nearby region Ln, and a region near the groove Gn on the positive side of the horizontal axis (right side in FIG. 10) is called a nearby region Rn. The nearby region Ln (Rn) is set, for example, as a region from the left end (right end) of the groove Gn to a distance that is half the width of the groove Gn.

The depth Dn of the groove Gn is calculated, for example, as the difference between the average value of the height H in the neighboring regions Ln and Rn and the average value of the height H in the groove Gn. Further, the amount of wear Wn of each groove Gn before and after the test is calculated as the difference between the depth Dn of the groove Gn before and after the test. Further, the average amount of wear W of the test tire T is calculated as the average value of the amounts of wear W1 to W4.

Further, in addition to (or in place of) the groove depth Dn described above, the minimum groove depth Dn _min may be calculated. The minimum groove depth Dn _min of the groove Gn is, for example, the average value of the minimum value of the height H in the neighboring region Ln and the minimum value of the height H in the neighboring region Rn, and the maximum value of the height H in the groove Gn. Calculated as the difference between In this case, the wear amount Wn and the average wear amount W may be calculated using the minimum groove depth Dn _min instead of the groove depth Dn.

The method for calculating the amount of wear Wn and the average amount of wear W is not limited to the one exemplified above, but may be calculated using other methods. For example, in the above example, the depth Dn of the groove Gn and the minimum groove depth Dn _min are calculated using the heights H of both the neighboring regions Ln and Rn. The depth Dn of the groove Gn, etc. may be calculated using the height H of one side (for example, the one closer to the center in the width direction of the test tire T). In addition, approximate curves (for example, quadratic curves) of the two-dimensional profile are obtained for the grooves G1 to G4 and the areas other than grooves G1 to G4 using the least squares method, respectively, and the average distance between the two approximate curves before and after the test is calculated. The average wear amount W may be calculated as the difference between .

In addition, the wear measurement unit 17 measures the wear amount Wn and average wear amount W of each groove Gn, as well as the wear amount _WL per unit traveling distance (for example, 1 km) and the wear amount W per unit traveling time (for example, 1 hour). Calculate and display _T.

The tire holding unit 10 includes a lubricant spreading device 16 (powder spreading device) that spreads a lubricant (spreading material) onto the tread surface of the test tire T and the simulated road surface 23b of the rotating drum 22. The lubricant dispersing device 16 disperses a mixture in which a lubricant is dispersed in air from the front in the running direction (above in FIG. 1) of the contact portion between the test tire T and the simulated road surface 23b. This prevents malfunctions and failures caused by rubber powder generated due to wear of the test tire T adhering to various parts of the tire testing device 1. Further, by dispersing the lubricant, the influence of the adhesion of rubber powder on the test tire T, the simulated road surface 23b, etc. on the test results is reduced, and the test accuracy is improved.

As the lubricant, a noncombustible powder such as talc (hydrated magnesium silicate) is used. This prevents dust explosions, eliminates the need for safety measures against dust explosions such as explosion-proof equipment, and enables significant reductions in initial costs and running costs.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the lubricant dispersing device 16. The lubricant distribution device 16 includes a hopper 161 (storage section) in which the lubricant is stored, a stirrer 162 that stirs the inside of the hopper 161, a drive unit 163 that rotationally drives the stirrer 162, and a quantitatively distributed lubricant. A quantitative conveyance unit 164 that conveys the lubricant, an ejector 166 that sucks the lubricant, mixes it with air, and ejects it, a pipe line 165 that guides the lubricant from the quantitative conveyance unit 164 to the ejector 166, and a pipe line 165 that guides the lubricant from the ejector 166 to the spraying position. It includes a pipe line 167 that guides dispersed air, and a trumpet 168 attached to the tip of the pipe line 167.

The stirrer 162 includes a rod 162a extending vertically, three pairs of branches 162b extending perpendicularly in the radial direction from the side surface of the rod 162a toward the inner peripheral surface of the hopper 161, and a tip end of each pair of the branches 162b. It includes three shoe holding parts 162c (slider holding parts) attached to each, and three shoes 162d (sliding element) held by the shoe attachment parts 162c. The rod 162a is arranged concentrically with the cylindrical inner peripheral surface of the hopper 161, and one end thereof is connected to the drive section 163. Each shoe 162d is arranged so that its tip contacts the inner circumferential surface of the hopper 161, and rotates along the inner circumferential surface of the hopper 161 while scraping off the lubricant attached to the inner circumferential surface of the hopper 161. In this embodiment, a brush made of, for example, a conductive (or antistatic) resin is used as the shoe 162d. While the tire testing apparatus 1 is in operation, the lubricant in the hopper 161 is constantly stirred by the stirrer 162. This prevents fluctuations in the supply amount of the lubricant and interruption of the supply due to coagulation and clogging of the lubricant in the hopper 161. Since the lubricant tends to adhere to the inner circumferential surface of the hopper 161 and become a starting point for agglomeration, by rubbing the inner circumferential surface of the hopper 161 with the tip of the shoe 162d, clogging of the lubricant is effectively prevented and the lubricant is Stable supply becomes possible.

In this embodiment, a brush is used as the shoe 162d, but a member other than the brush (for example, a sponge or sheet having rubber elasticity) may be used as the shoe 162d. Due to the elasticity of the shoe 162d, the shoe 162d is pressed against the inner circumferential surface of the hopper 161 with an appropriate force, and the lubricant adhered to the inner circumferential surface of the hopper 161 is rubbed off. Further, if the shoe 162d does not have appropriate elasticity, the shoe attachment portion 162c or the branch portion 162b may be provided with elasticity. For example, by using a leaf spring for the branch portion 162b, the shoe 162d can be pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the hopper 161 by the elastic force of the leaf spring. Furthermore, by using the shoe 162d made of resin or rubber, scratches and wear on the inner peripheral surface of the hopper 161 due to sliding of the shoe 162d can be prevented.

Further, by using the shoe 162d made of a conductive material (for example, a synthetic resin mixed with carbon black), the accumulation of lubricant on the surface of the shoe 162d due to static electricity can be prevented.

The drive unit 163 includes a motor 163m, a driver 163md (FIG. 5) that supplies a drive current to the motor 163m, and a reducer 163g that reduces the rotational speed of the output of the motor 163m.

Although the axes of the hopper 161 and the stirrer 162 are oriented vertically in this embodiment, they may be oriented vertically (that is, the axes may be inclined with respect to the vertical).

The quantitative conveyance unit 164 includes a cylindrical case 164a having a cylindrical hollow part, a substantially cylindrical screw 164b concentrically accommodated in the hollow part of the case 164a, and a drive part 164c that rotationally drives the screw 164b. ing. The drive unit 164c includes a servo motor 164cm and a servo amplifier 164cma that supplies a drive current to the servo motor 164cm. Instead of the 164 cm servo motor, other types of motors whose rotational speed can be controlled may be used.

The screw 164b has a substantially cylindrical body portion 164b1 with a spiral groove formed on its outer periphery, and a shaft portion 164b2 that is thinner than the body portion 164b1 and extends in the axial direction from both axial ends of the body portion 164b1. Furthermore, bearing holes 164a1 that rotatably fit into the shaft portion 164b2 are formed at both ends of the case 164a in the axial direction. A shaft of the drive section 164c is connected to one end of the shaft section 164b2.

Openings are provided at both axial ends of the case 164a. An inlet 164a2, which is one opening, is formed on the upper surface of the case 164a at one end side. Further, the other opening, the outlet 164a3, is formed on the lower surface of the other end of the case 164a. An outlet of the hopper 161 is connected to the inlet 164a2, and a straight pipe 164d extending vertically is connected to the outlet 164a3.

One spiral groove is formed on the outer periphery of the screw 164b. The spiral groove has a semicircular cross section. In addition, although the pitch of the spiral groove is constant in this embodiment, it may be made into an unequal pitch. Further, a plurality of spiral grooves (multiple spiral structure) may be formed in the screw 164b. The outer diameter of the main body portion 164b1 of the screw 164b is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the hollow portion of the case 164a. Note that if the gap between the outer circumferential surface of the screw 164b and the inner circumferential surface of the case is narrow, the gap will be clogged with lubricant and frictional resistance will increase, whereas if the gap is wide, the conveyance efficiency will decrease.

As the screw 164b rotates, the lubricant moves within the hollow portion of the case 164a from the inlet 164a2 toward the outlet 164a3, and is discharged from the straight pipe 164d. Since the amount of lubricant conveyed per rotation of the screw 164b is constant, by rotating the screw 164b at a constant speed, it becomes possible to continuously supply the lubricant at a constant speed. Further, by changing the rotation speed of the screw 164b, it is possible to adjust the supply speed of the lubricant.

The ejector 166 operates using compressed air supplied from the pipe 166a as a driving source, and injects compressed air at high speed from a built-in nozzle toward the discharge side, thereby reducing the suction port connected to the pipe 165. The lubricant is suctioned through the suction port under pressure, and air in which the lubricant is dispersed is ejected from the discharge port connected to the pipe line 167.

The inlet of the conduit 165 is disposed vertically opposite to the outlet of the straight pipe 164d of the quantitative conveyance section 164 with a gap G interposed therebetween. The negative pressure generated by the ejector 166 causes air to flow into the pipe line 165 from the gap G. The lubricant dropped from the outlet of the straight pipe 164d is introduced into the pipe line 165 by the air flowing in from the gap G.

Further, the tip of the conduit 167 (trumpet groove 168) is arranged directly above the ground contact portion between the test tire T and the simulated road surface 23b. The air containing the lubricant ejected from the ejector 166 passes through the pipe 167 and is ejected from the trumpet mouth 168 toward the ground contact portion. Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the test tire T and the rotating drum 22 are driven to rotate in a direction in which the ground contact portion moves downward. That is, the slipping material is injected toward the ground contact portion from the front in the running direction.

By spreading the lubricant in front of the ground contact area between the test tire T and the simulated road surface 23b using the lubricant spreading device 16 described above, rubber debris generated by wear of the test tire T is removed from the test tire T and the tire. This prevents rubber debris from adhering to the testing device 1, thereby preventing a decrease in test accuracy and failure of the tire testing device 1 due to the adhesion of rubber debris.

As shown in FIG. 5, the motor 163m of the drive unit 163 of the lubricant spreading device 16 and the servo motor 164cm of the quantitative conveyance unit 164 are connected to the central control unit 70. The operation of the lubricant spreading device 16 is controlled by a central control unit 70.

As shown in FIG. 5, the interface unit 90 of the control system 1a includes, for example, a user interface for inputting and outputting data with a user, a network interface for connecting to various networks such as a LAN (Local Area Network), It is equipped with one or more of various communication interfaces such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) and GPIB (General Purpose Interface Bus) for connecting with external devices. In addition, the user interface includes, for example, various operation switches, indicators, various display devices such as LCD (liquid crystal display), various pointing devices such as mice and touch pads, touch screens, video cameras, printers, scanners, buzzers, and speakers. , a microphone, a memory card reader/writer, and one or more of various input/output devices.

A displacement sensor 17, rotary encoders 122a, 142a, 154b, and 241, a torque sensor 152a, a three-component force sensor 152b, an air pressure sensor 156a, and a temperature sensor 183 are connected to the measurement unit 80. Based on the signals from each sensor, the measurement unit 80 measures the torque applied to the test tire T, the load (Radial Force), the tangential force (Tractive Force) and the lateral force (Lateral Force), the rotation speed of the test tire T, the camber angle, The slip angle, the temperature and air pressure of the tread surface, the rotational speed of the rotating drum 22 and the road surface speed (the circumferential speed of the rotating drum 22) are measured, and these measured values are sent to the central control unit 70. Note that the road surface speed is calculated from a value measured by the rotary encoder 241 of the rotational speed of the rotary drum 22 .

The central control unit 70 displays the measurement value acquired from the measurement unit 80 on the display device according to the settings, and stores it in the nonvolatile memory 71 along with the measurement time.

Servo motors 52, 112, 124, 132, 143 and 164 cm are connected to the central control unit 70 via servo amplifiers 52a, 112a, 124a, 132a, 143a and 164 cm, respectively. Further, motors 32 and 163m are connected to the central control unit 70 via an inverter circuit 32a and a driver 163md, respectively. Further, a spot air conditioner 182 and a temperature sensor 183 are connected to the central control unit 70 via a control unit 181 of the tire temperature adjustment system 18 .

In the test using the tire testing device 1 of the present embodiment, an actual driving test is conducted to examine the wear condition of tires designed in advance as a standard (hereinafter referred to as "standard tires") when mounted on an actual vehicle and driven. The test conditions are adjusted so that the same wear conditions as in the actual driving test are reproduced in the bench test using the tire testing device 1, and the adjusted test conditions (referred to as "adjusted test conditions") are used to test tires of various designs. Tests will be conducted on: Note that the reference tire is selected from tires whose design is relatively similar to the tire to be tested. For example, reference tires are set for passenger car tires and bus/truck tires, respectively.

According to the embodiment of the present invention described above, since an electric motor is used without using a hydraulic system, the amount of electricity used can be significantly reduced compared to conventional test equipment.

Further, since the power consumption is low, the tire testing apparatus 1 can be stably operated even if the power supply is restricted due to a large-scale disaster or the like.

Furthermore, since no hydraulic system is used, there is no problem of environmental pollution caused by hydraulic oil.

Furthermore, the quality of rubber tires deteriorates when they come into contact with hydraulic oil, so it is difficult to conduct accurate tests in a test environment contaminated with hydraulic oil. If the tire testing device 1 of this embodiment is used, the test tire T will not be contaminated with hydraulic oil, so a more accurate test can be performed.

In addition, in this embodiment, the torque generating unit 50 (torque generating device) is an ultra-low inertia, high output type AC with a rotating part having a moment of inertia of 0.01 kg m ² or less and a rated output of 22 kW (7 kW to 37 kW). By using a servo motor, it is possible to generate rapid torque fluctuations, making it possible to accurately reproduce torque changes with complex waveforms.

In addition, in conventional power circulation systems, torque is first applied to the power circulation circuit, and rotational drive is started with the torque applied, so it is not possible to change the torque during the test. , it was only possible to apply a certain amount of torque. In the tire testing device 1 of this embodiment, by adopting a configuration in which a torque generator equipped with an ultra-low inertia, high-output AC servo motor is incorporated into the power circulation circuit, the tire testing device 1 can perform complex tests at high speeds (high frequencies) during high-speed driving. This makes it possible to apply large torque fluctuations to the specimen, making it possible to accurately simulate tests with harsh and complex conditions such as sudden acceleration and deceleration during high-speed driving, and ABS brake tests.

In addition, in the conventional configuration that uses a single drive motor, the drive motor is required to rotate at high speed and high torque, so a large capacity motor of 600 kW or more is required for passenger car tire testing. . However, by adopting the torque generating device of this embodiment, the role of each motor can be divided into low speed/high torque drive and high speed/low torque drive, so the capacity of the servo motor 52 of the torque generating section 50 is only 22 kW. Since the capacity of the motor 32 of the rotary drive unit 30 is also sufficient at 37 kW, a total capacity of 60 kW is sufficient, making it possible to reduce the required amount of electricity to about 1/10. In addition, a testing device suitable for testing truck and bus tires reduces electricity consumption to approximately 1/13. In addition, when using a hydraulic motor, electricity is used to control the temperature of the hydraulic oil even when it is not in operation, but electric motors consume almost no electricity when they are not in operation, so the actual amount of electricity used is 1/2. It can be reduced to about 15.

Furthermore, by using a low capacity motor, manufacturing costs can be reduced and the device can be made smaller.

Furthermore, in the tire testing device 1 of this embodiment, by forming the simulated road surface 23b using a new composite material, the durability of the simulated road surface 23b is improved, and running costs can be reduced. Further, by using the simulated road surface 23b of this embodiment, it becomes possible to perform tests that accurately simulate various road surfaces by changing the aggregate or binder.

(Second embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. 12 and 13 are a plan view and a front view, respectively, of a tire testing apparatus 1000 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In addition, for convenience of explanation, a part of the tire testing apparatus 1000 is shown in cross section in each figure. In addition, components common to or corresponding to those in the first embodiment are given the same or corresponding numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

The tire testing device 1000 of this embodiment is configured so that a single testing device can test tires for passenger cars and tires for buses and trucks.

The tire testing apparatus 1000 has two power circulation circuits (power circulation circuit A, power circulation circuit B) that share a part of the relay section 1040 (gear box 1042, shaft 1049) and the road surface section 1020 (rotating drum 1022). It is constructed so that the two test tires T1 and T2 can be tested simultaneously.

Further, in this embodiment, the rotary drive unit 1030 is installed on the frame 1020F of the road surface unit 1020, and the power of the motor 1032 is applied to the drive pulley 1034 coupled to the shaft of the motor 1032, the V-belt 1068, and the shaft of the rotating drum 1022. The power is transmitted to each of the power circulation circuits A and B via the driven pulley 1025 and the rotating drum 1022 connected to the drive pulley 1022a.

The relay parts 1040A and 1040B are each provided with two sets of drive pulleys 1044A and 1044B and driven pulleys 1048A and 1048B. One set has a reduction ratio suitable for testing passenger car tires, and the other set has a reduction ratio suitable for testing bus and truck tires. The V-belts 1066A and 1066B are wound around a pulley pair for passenger car tires when testing passenger car tires, and around a pulley pair for bus/truck tires when testing bus/truck tires. By simply replacing the V-belts 1066A and 1066B, it is possible to change the reduction ratio to suit various types of tires.

The relay section 1040 includes one first gear 1042a and two second gears 1042b. A through hole is provided at the center of each of the first gear 1042a and the second gear 1042b. Shafts 1041A and 1041B each having a driven pulley 1048A and 1048B attached to one end thereof are passed through the through hole without contact. The other ends of the shafts 1041A and 1041B are connected to the shafts 1051A and 1051B of the torque generating sections 1050A and 1050B. Further, each second gear 1042b is coupled to an outer cylinder 1051 of the torque generating section 1050A, 1050B.

The above is a description of one embodiment of the present invention. The embodiments of the present invention are not limited to those described above, and various modifications are possible. For example, the embodiments of the present application also include configurations in which the configurations of the embodiments etc. exemplarily specified in this specification and/or the configurations of the embodiments etc. that are obvious to those skilled in the art from the description in this specification are combined as appropriate. .

In the above embodiment, the position of the rotation axis of the first gear 42a of the relay section 40 is configured to be movable laterally, but the position of the rotation axis of the second gear 42b may also be configured to be movable laterally. good. In this case, the second gear 42b and the drive pulley 44 are connected by, for example, a drive shaft 62 equipped with a universal joint so that the second gear 42b is allowed to move.

In the above embodiment, a V-belt is used as the second connection means, but a flat belt, a toothed belt, or other belt may be used as the second connection means. Furthermore, a chain, wire, or other wrapping medium may be used as the second connection means. Further, in the first embodiment described above, the relay section 40 and the torque generating section 50 are connected by one V-belt, but they may be connected by a plurality of second connection means connected in parallel or in series. Furthermore, when connecting a plurality of second connecting means in series, different types of second connecting means may be used in combination.

The embodiments of the present invention described above will be summarized below.

In a tire testing device that performs a simulated test such as that described in JP-A No. 57-91440, rubber debris generated due to tire wear may adhere to various parts of the tire testing device and cause the tire testing device to malfunction. .

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to prevent rubber debris generated during tire wear testing from adhering to tire testing equipment and test tires, thereby preventing failure of the tire testing equipment. shall be.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a grounding step of grounding the test tire on a simulated road surface provided on the outer periphery of the rotating drum, a rotating step of rotating the test tire that has been grounded on the rotating drum and the simulated road surface, and a step of rotating the test tire that is in contact with the rotating drum and the simulated road surface; A tire testing method is provided that includes the step of spraying a powder that makes it difficult for rubber debris produced by wear of the test tire to adhere to the outer peripheral surface of at least one of the test tires.

In the above tire testing method, the powder scattering step includes a conveying step in which the powder is conveyed at a constant rate, a dispersion step in which the conveyed powder is dispersed into gas, and a spraying step in which the gas in which the powder is dispersed is sprayed onto the outer peripheral surface. It is also possible to have a configuration including the following.

In the above tire testing method, in the spraying step, the gas in which the powder is dispersed may be sprayed from the front in the running direction toward the contact area between the simulated road surface and the test tire.

In the above tire testing method, the powder may be transported at a constant rate by rotating a screw serving as a transporting means at a predetermined speed in the transporting step.

In the above tire testing method, the dispersion step includes a compressed gas supply step of supplying compressed gas to the ejector, a step of suctioning the powder by the negative pressure generated by the ejector, and a step of ejecting the powder dispersed in the gas from the ejector. The configuration may include a jetting step.

In the above tire testing method, the dispersion step may include a guiding step in which the gas ejected from the ejector is guided through a pipe to a spraying position, and the powder may be more uniformly dispersed in the gas in the guiding step.

In the above tire testing method, the spraying step may include spraying a gas in which powder is dispersed from a trumpet mouth.

In the above tire testing method, the powder may include talc.

Further, according to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a conveyance unit that quantitatively transports the target material, and a transport unit that sucks the target material transported by the transport unit and blows out a gas in which the target material is dispersed. A dispersion device is provided, comprising an ejector for causing the spraying to occur.

According to this configuration, a spraying device capable of quantitatively spraying the material to be sprayed (for example, continuously in a fixed amount per unit time) is provided.

In the above-mentioned dispersion device, the conveyance section may include a screw, a cylindrical case that accommodates the screw, and a drive section that rotates the screw at a predetermined number of rotations.

In the above-mentioned dispersion device, the screw may be a substantially cylindrical member having a spiral groove formed on its outer circumferential surface.

The above-mentioned spreading device includes a hopper in which the material to be spread is stored, an inlet of the case opens upward at one end in the axial direction of the case, and a discharge port of the hopper formed at the bottom of the hopper is connected to the inlet. It may also be a configuration.

The above-mentioned spraying device includes a stirring bar that stirs the material to be sprayed in the hopper, the hopper has a cylindrical inner peripheral surface, and the stirring bar rotates while contacting the inner peripheral surface of the hopper. It may also be configured to have a moving element.

In the above-mentioned dispersion device, the agitator includes a rod that is arranged concentrically with the inner circumferential surface of the hopper and rotates around an axis on the inner circumferential surface, and a branch that extends from the side of the rod toward the inner circumferential surface of the hopper. , and a slider holding part that holds the slider and is attached to the branch part.

The above-mentioned spreading device may include a plurality of sliders, and the plurality of sliders may be arranged at different positions in the axial direction of the hopper.

In the above-mentioned spreading device, two sliders adjacent in the axial direction of the hopper may be arranged at different positions in the direction of rotation.

The above-mentioned spraying device includes a first conduit that guides the material to be spread conveyed by the conveyance section to the ejector, and the outlet of the case opens downward at the other end in the axial direction of the case of the conveyance section, and the outlet of the case opens downward. The inlet of a straight pipe extending downward may be connected to the inlet, and the outlet of the straight pipe and the inlet of the first conduit may be arranged vertically facing each other with a gap interposed therebetween.

According to still another embodiment of the present invention, a rotating drum having a simulated road surface provided on its outer circumferential surface, a tire holding section rotatably holding the test tire in a state where it is in contact with the simulated road surface, and a rotating drum. and a drive unit that rotates the tire holding unit, and the above-mentioned scattering device that sprays powder that makes it difficult for rubber debris generated by wear of the test tire to adhere to the outer peripheral surface of at least one of the rotating drum and the test tire. , a tire testing device is provided.

According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, a rotating drum having a simulated road surface provided on its outer periphery, a tire holding section that rotatably holds the test tire in a state where it is in contact with the simulated road surface, and A rotary drive unit includes a torque generating unit that generates a torque to be applied, and a rotary drive unit that includes a motor that is an electric motor that rotationally drives a rotating drum, and the torque generating unit is rotatably supported and coaxially attached to the case. A tire testing device is provided, which includes a servo motor that is an electric motor, and a rotary drive section rotationally drives a case of a torque generating section.

According to this configuration, since no hydraulic system is used, environmental pollution caused by hydraulic oil can be prevented, and energy consumption can be reduced compared to conventional devices using hydraulic pressure. In addition, by introducing a torque generator (torque generator), it is possible to have two motors share the two roles of rotational drive and torque generation, making it possible to use a small motor with low capacity. This enables further energy and space savings.

In the above tire testing device, the simulated road surface may be formed by a plurality of simulated road surface units that are detachable from the outer periphery of the rotating drum.

According to this configuration, it becomes possible to manufacture the simulated road surface unit as a prefabricated product, and it becomes possible to improve production efficiency.

In the tire testing device described above, the simulated road surface unit may include a frame that is detachable from the outer periphery of the rotating drum, and a simulated road surface body that is detachable from the surface of the frame.

According to this configuration, the simulated road surface body, which is a consumable item, can be easily replaced. Furthermore, it becomes possible to increase the variety of simulated road surfaces at low cost.

In the above tire testing device, the simulated road surface may be formed from a material containing aggregate and a binding material that binds the aggregate.

In the tire testing device described above, the aggregate includes ceramic pieces;
The structure may be such that the binding material contains a curable resin.

In the above tire testing device, the simulated road surface may be formed of the same material (or a different material) as the actual road surface.

In the tire testing device described above, the simulated road surface may have a plurality of travel lanes lined up in the axial direction of the rotating drum.

In the above tire testing device, the plurality of travel lanes may be formed of the same material (or different materials).

In the tire testing device described above, the tire holding section may include a travel lane switching mechanism capable of switching the travel lane in which the rotary drum travels by moving the rotary drum in the axial direction.

In the tire testing device described above, a relay section that relays transmission of power from the rotational drive section to the torque generation section, a first connection means that connects the rotational drive section and the relay section, and a connection between the relay section and the torque generation section. a second connecting means for connecting the two, the second connecting means includes a winding transmission mechanism, and the winding transmission mechanism includes a passive pulley coaxially attached to the case of the torque generating section. Good too.

In the above tire testing device, the rotary drive section includes a power coupling section, the power coupling section has an input shaft connected to the motor, one end connected to the first coupling means, and the other end connected to the shaft of the rotating drum. An output shaft connected to the output shaft may also be configured.

In the above tire testing device, the relay portion includes a first gear connected to the first connecting means, a second gear meshing with the first gear and connected to the second connecting means, and one of the first gear and the second gear is configured to be movable in the distance direction from the other so that the distance between the rotation axes of the first gear and the second gear can be changed. The first connecting means and the second connecting means, the one connected to the gear is provided with a universal joint at both ends and includes a drive shaft configured to have a variable length. Good too.

In the tire testing device described above, the torque generating section includes a first shaft connected to the shaft of the servo motor, and the case has a cylindrical shape with an opening formed at one end through which the first shaft passes, The servo motor and one end portion of the first shaft may be housed in the case, and the other end portion of the first shaft may be exposed to the outside of the case through the opening.

In the above tire testing device, the tire holding section includes a spindle section that rotatably holds the test tire, and an alignment mechanism that can adjust the alignment of the test tire with respect to the simulated road surface by changing the position or direction of the spindle section. The spindle portion may include a wheel portion to which a tire is mounted, and a spindle to which the wheel portion is coaxially attached to one end and rotatably supported.

The tire testing device described above may include a third connecting means for connecting the first shaft of the torque generating section and the spindle, and the third connecting means may include a constant velocity joint.

In the tire testing device described above, the tire holding section rotatably supports the spindle, and rotates the spindle case around an axis that is perpendicular to the contact surface where the test tire contacts the simulated road surface and passes through the center of the wheel section. A camber angle adjustment mechanism that can adjust the camber angle of the test tire by rotating the spindle case around an axis that passes through the ground contact surface and is perpendicular to the spindle. and a tire load adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting the vertical load of the test tire by moving the spindle case in a direction perpendicular to the ground contact surface.

The tire testing device described above may be configured to include the above-mentioned scattering device that sprays powder that makes it difficult for rubber debris generated by wear of the test tire to adhere to the outer periphery of at least one of the rotating drum and the test tire.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to prevent rubber debris generated during tire testing from adhering to a tire testing device or a test tire, thereby making it possible to prevent failure of the tire testing device.

An object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a tire testing device that can apply torque fluctuations to a specimen.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a rotating drum having a simulated road surface provided on its outer periphery, a rotary drive unit including a first electric motor that rotationally drives the rotating drum, and a test tire being grounded on the simulated road surface. A tire holding part that rotatably holds the tire, a torque generating part that generates a torque that provides braking force or driving force to the test tire, and a relay part that relays power transmission from the rotational driving part to the torque generating part, The torque generating section includes a rotatably supported case and a second electric motor attached to the case, the rotation driving section rotationally drives the case of the torque generating section, and the relay section is coupled to the rotating drum. A tire testing device is provided, which includes a shaft and a gear box that connects the shaft and a case of a torque generating section, and in which the shaft and the torque generating section are arranged side by side.

In the tire testing device described above, the gear box may include a first gear coupled to the shaft and a second gear coupled to the case of the torque generating section and meshed with the first gear.

In the above tire testing device, the test tire may be connected to the shaft of the second electric motor, and the rotating drum, the relay section, and the torque generating section may be connected in a ring shape through the test tire to form a power circulation circuit. .

According to another aspect of the present invention, a rotating drum provided with a simulated road surface on the outer periphery, a rotary drive section including a first electric motor that rotationally drives the rotating drum, and a test tire grounded on the simulated road surface. A pair of tire holders that rotatably hold the tires in the same state, a pair of torque generators that generate torque that provides braking or driving force to each test tire, and a relay that relays power transmission from the rotary drive unit to each torque generator. the torque generating section includes a rotatably supported case and a second electric motor attached to the case, the rotation driving section rotationally drives the case of the torque generating section; A tire testing device is provided, in which a relay part includes a shaft coupled to a rotating drum, and a gear box that connects the shaft and a case of each torque generating part, and the shaft and a pair of torque generating parts are arranged side by side. be done.

In the above tire testing device, the gear box may include a first gear coupled to the shaft, and a pair of second gears coupled to the case of each torque generating section and meshed with the first gear. .

In the above tire testing device, the test tire is connected to the shaft of the corresponding second electric motor, and the rotating drum, the relay section, and each torque generating section are connected in a ring shape through the corresponding test tire to form a power circulation circuit. A configuration may also be used.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a tire testing device capable of applying torque fluctuation to a specimen is provided.

Claims (3)

A rotating drum with a simulated road surface on its outer periphery;
a rotational drive unit including a first electric motor that rotationally drives the rotating drum;
a pair of tire holding parts that rotatably hold the test tire in contact with the simulated road surface;
a pair of torque generating units that generate torque that provides braking force or driving force to each of the test tires;
a relay section that relays power transmission from the rotational drive section to each of the torque generation sections;
Equipped with
The torque generating section is
a rotatably supported case;
a second electric motor attached to the case,
a rotational drive unit rotationally drives a case of the torque generation unit;
The relay section is
a shaft coupled to the rotating drum;
a gear box connecting the shaft and a case of each of the torque generating parts;
The shaft and the pair of torque generating parts are arranged side by side,
Tire testing equipment. The gear box is
a first gear coupled to the shaft;
a pair of second gears that are coupled to the case of each of the torque generating parts and mesh with the first gear;
Equipped with
The tire testing device according to claim 1 . the test tire is connected to a corresponding shaft of the second electric motor;
The rotating drum, the relay section, and each of the torque generating sections are connected in an annular manner via the corresponding test tire to form a power circulation circuit.
The tire testing device according to claim 1 or claim 2 .

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