초록 ▼

Method and apparatus are disclosed for determining the caster angle and the steering angle inclination of a steerable wheel on a vehicle. The wheel is supported on a member which has freedom of motion along the fore-and-aft and transverse axes of the vehicle and freedom of rotation about a mutually

Method and apparatus are disclosed for determining the caster angle and the steering angle inclination of a steerable wheel on a vehicle. The wheel is supported on a member which has freedom of motion along the fore-and-aft and transverse axes of the vehicle and freedom of rotation about a mutually perpendicular rotation axis. When the wheel is turned both right and left to a given steering angle from the straight ahead direction, a rotary encoder measures the steering angle and an X-axis encoder and a Y-axis encoder measure the linear displacement along the transverse and fore-and-aft axes, respectively. These measurement values, along with known values of axle height and wheel camber angle, as well as the automobile manufacturer\s design dimensions of caster offset and steering axis inclination offset, are supplied to a computer which calculates the caster angle or the steering angle inclination, or both, in accordance with a functional relationship of the measured values and known values.

대표청구항 ▼

A method of determining the caster angle of a steerable wheel on a vehicle, the wheel being mounted for rotation about an axle on said vehicle and having a tread for engaging a road, the vehicle having a fore-and-aft axis and a transverse axis, said method including the steps of: turning the wheel r

A method of determining the caster angle of a steerable wheel on a vehicle, the wheel being mounted for rotation about an axle on said vehicle and having a tread for engaging a road, the vehicle having a fore-and-aft axis and a transverse axis, said method including the steps of: turning the wheel right and left relative to the fore-and-aft axis through the same measured steering angle, measuring the linear displacement, along one of said axes, of a point on said wheel in a plane parallel to said axes with the wheel turned rightward and leftward to said measured steering angle, respectively, and calculating the caster angle using the measured displacement, the steering angle, the caster offset, and the axle height above said plane.