IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0260592
(2002-09-30)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Podbielski, Sharon E.
- Clothiaux, John D.
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출원인 / 주소 |
- Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire, LLC
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대리인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
9 인용 특허 :
16 |
초록
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An alignment device (30) for mounting on a laser mapping machine in place of a tire. The alignment device (30) comprises alignment surfaces S1-S5which, when mapped by the machine, will provide alignment parameters. Specifically, the mapping of the alignment surface S1and the mapping of the alignment
An alignment device (30) for mounting on a laser mapping machine in place of a tire. The alignment device (30) comprises alignment surfaces S1-S5which, when mapped by the machine, will provide alignment parameters. Specifically, the mapping of the alignment surface S1and the mapping of the alignment surface S2reflect the perpendicularity of the machine's laser relative to the machine's rail in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The mapping of the alignment surface S2and the alignment surface S3will reflect the parallelism of the rail to the machine's shaft in the first and second directions. The mapping of the alignment surface S4and the alignment surface S5will reflect radial and out-of-plane wobble.
대표청구항
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1. An alignment device for a tire laser mapping machine having a hub on which a tire is mounted, a shaft connected to the hub, a laser probe, and a rail for moving the laser probe across the tread of the tire to map the tire when it is mounted on the hub; said alignment device being shaped and sized
1. An alignment device for a tire laser mapping machine having a hub on which a tire is mounted, a shaft connected to the hub, a laser probe, and a rail for moving the laser probe across the tread of the tire to map the tire when it is mounted on the hub; said alignment device being shaped and sized to be mounted on the hub in place of the tire and comprising a series of connected walls forming alignment surfaces S1-S5 shaped and positioned so that when the laser probe is moved across the alignment surfaces: the mapping of the alignment surface S 1 and the mapping of the alignment surface S2 correspond to the perpendicularity of the laser relative to the rail in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; the mapping of the alignment surface S 2 and the alignment surface S3 will correspond to the parallelism of the rail to the shaft in the first and second directions; and the mapping of the alignment surface S 4 and the alignment surface S5 will correspond to radial and out-of-plane wobble. 2. An alignment device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the alignment surface S1 is angled at a known angle in the first direction and the alignment surface S2 is angled at a known angle in the second direction and wherein the mapped angle of the alignment surface S1 in the first direction and the mapped angle of the alignment surface S2 in the second direction correspond to the perpendicularity of the laser relative to the rail in the first and second directions, respectively. 3. An alignment device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the alignment surface S2 and the alignment surface S3 each have a known angle, and the mapped angle of the alignment surface S2 and the alignment surface S3 corresponds to the parallelism of the rail to the shaft in the first and second directions, respectively. 4. An alignment device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the alignment surface S4 is angled at a known angle and the alignment surface S5 is angled at a known angle and wherein the mapped amplitude of the alignment surface S4 and the alignment surface S5 corresponds to radial and out-of-plane wobble. 5. An alignment device as set forth in claim 4, wherein the known angle at which the alignment surface S4 is angled is 0°, whereby the alignment surface S4 is flat. 6. An alignment device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising surfaces which form a radial extent at a known distance D and wherein the mapping of these surfaces correspond to laser calibration. 7. An alignment device as set forth in claim 1, wherein: the alignment surface S 1 is angled at a known angle in the first direction and the alignment surface S2 is angled at a known angle in the second direction, whereby the mapped angle of the alignment surface S1 in the first direction and the mapped angle of the alignment surface S2 in the second direction correspond to the perpendicularity of the laser relative to the rail in the first and second directions, respectively; the alignment surface S 2 and the alignment surface S3 each have a known angle, whereby the mapped angle of the alignment surface S2 and the mapped angle of the alignment surface S3 corresponds to the parallelism of the rail to the shaft in the first and second directions, respectively; the alignment surface S 4 is angled at a known angle and the alignment surface S5 is angled at a known angle, whereby the mapped amplitude of the alignment surface S4 and the alignment surface S5 reflects corresponds to radial and out-of-plane wobble. 8. An alignment device as set forth in claim 7, wherein the known angle at which the alignment surface54 is angled is 0°, whereby the alignment surface S4 is flat. 9. An alignment device as set forth in claim 7, further comprising surfaces which form a radial extent at a known distance D and wherein the mapping of these surfaces corresponds to laser calibration. 10. An alignment device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the calibration surfaces S1-S5 are formed on a round member and a bar member connected to the round member, wherein the round member has an opening through which the shaft of the laser mapping machine is received and extends in a shaft direction; and wherein the bar member extends in a direction parallel to the shaft direction. 11. An alignment device as set forth in claim 10, wherein the bar member forms alignment surfaces S1, S2 and S3, and wherein the round member forms alignment surfaces S4 and S5. 12. An alignment device as set forth in claim 11, wherein the bar member comprises a top side, a bottom side, a front side, a back side, and end sides and wherein the calibration surface S1 is formed by one of the end sides, the calibration surface S2 is formed by the front side, and the calibration surface S3 is formed by the top side. 13. An alignment device as set forth in claim 12, wherein the top side and the bottom side each have a rectangular shape with the bottom side having a lesser width and a lesser length than the top side, wherein the front side and the back side each have a trapezoidal shape with the non-parallel sides being equal in length, wherein the front side slants from the top side to the bottom side, wherein the back side extends perpendicularly between the top side and the bottom side, and wherein the end sides each have a trapezoidal shape with back right angles. 14. An alignment device as set forth in claim 11, wherein the round member comprises a circular base wall and a cylindrical side wall, and wherein the calibration surface S4 is formed by an outer radial side of the cylindrical side wall and the calibration surface S5 is formed by a cut-off corner between the base wall and the sidewall. 15. An alignment device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the distal edge of the side wall includes a radially outward lip; wherein the radial extent of the lip relative to the side wall of the round member is at a known distance D; and wherein the mapping of lip corresponds to laser calibration. 16. An alignment device as set forth in claim 11, wherein: the round member comprises a circular base wall and a cylindrical side wall, and wherein the calibration surface S 4 is formed by an outer radial side of the cylindrical side wall and the calibration surface S5 is formed by a cut-off corner between the base wall and the side wall; and the bar member comprises a top side, a bottom side, a front side, a back side, and end sides and wherein the calibration surface S 1 is formed by one of the end sides, the calibration surface S2 is formed by the front side, and the calibration surface S3 is formed by the top side. 17. An alignment device as set forth in claim 16, wherein the top side and the bottom side each have a rectangular shape, with the bottom side having a lesser width and a lesser length than the top side, wherein the front side and the back side each have a trapezoidal shape with the non-parallel sides being equal in length, wherein the front side slants from the top side to the bottom side, wherein the back side extends perpendicularly between the top side and the bottom side, and wherein the end sides each have a trapezoidal shape with back right angles. 18. In combination, a tire laser mapping machine having a hub on which a tire can be mounted and the alignment device of claim 1 mounted on the tire laser mapping machine in place of the tire. 19. A combination as set forth in claim 18, wherein the tire laser mapping machine comprises a motor-driven shaft connected to the hub, a laser probe positioned to measure tread wear, a rail for moving the laser probe across the tread of the tire, and a microprocessor for translating the laser probe readings into tread depth data. 20. A method of checking the alignment of a tire laser mapping machine, said method comprising the steps of: mounting the alignment device of claim 1 on the machine in place of the tire; performing a laser mapping of the alignment device to derive measurement data; determining align ment values from the measurement data.
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