초록 ▼

A non-contact type wheel alignment measuring apparatus includes a fixed-focal-length lens and a pair of light sources located on the opposite sides of the lens for projecting a pair of laser beams onto the side surface of a wheel to be measured. The apparatus also includes a CCD sensor on which imag

A non-contact type wheel alignment measuring apparatus includes a fixed-focal-length lens and a pair of light sources located on the opposite sides of the lens for projecting a pair of laser beams onto the side surface of a wheel to be measured. The apparatus also includes a CCD sensor on which images reflecting from the wheel are formed and the distance between the two images is detected as a function of pixels of CCD sensor between them. The information of this distance (or the number of pixels) is utilized to determine the distance between the measuring apparatus and a point of interest on the wheel. With two or more such information for different locations on the wheel, its alignment characteristic, such as toe-in and camber angles, can be determined.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method for measuring alignment of a wheel of a vehicle, comprising:(a) projecting a first pair of light beams, which are in parallel to each other and separated by a predetermined distance, to a first area of side wall of a tire of said wheel or to flat surface detachably attached to said wheel

1. A method for measuring alignment of a wheel of a vehicle, comprising:(a) projecting a first pair of light beams, which are in parallel to each other and separated by a predetermined distance, to a first area of side wall of a tire of said wheel or to flat surface detachably attached to said wheel; (b) receiving reflected light from said first projected pair of light beams incident on said side wall or said flat surface and forming images from said reflected light at an image-forming surface of a first photo-electric converting device at a first location, said first photo-electric converting device being at a fixed distance from said wheel in an approximately axial direction; (c) measuring a length of a first space between said images formed on said first photo-electric converting device; (d) calculating a first distance to a first point on said side wall or said flat surface between the points of incidence of said first pair of light beams on said side wall or to said flat detector plate from said first photo-electric converting device, using said length of said first space; (a2) projecting a second pair of light beams, which are in parallel to each other and separated by a predetermined distance, to a second area of said side wall of a tire of said wheel or to said flat surface detachably attached to said wheel; (b2) receiving reflected light from said second projected pair of light beams incident on said side wall or said flat surface and forming images from said reflected light at an image-forming surface of a second photo-electric converting device at a second location, said second imaging device being at a fixed distance from said wheel in an approximately axial direction; (c2) measuring a length of a second space between said images formed on said second photo-electric converting device; (d2) calculating a second distance to a second point on said side wall or said flat surface between the points of incidence of said second pair of light beams on said side wall or said flat surface from said second photo-electric converting device, using said length of said second space; and (e) calculating an angle of said wheel from said first and said second distances and said first and second locations of said first and said second photo-electric converting devices.