Apparatus and method for measuring and compensating steering-angle sensitive alignment measurements
AssigneeHunter Engineering Company
InventorDavid Voeller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for measuring and compensating steered-angle sensitive wheel alignment angle and distance measurements for the effects of steering a wheel from a straight ahead position, thereby enabling an operator to carry out a vehicle wheel alignment angle adjustment without having to maintain a wheel in a straight-ahead steered condition during an alignment angle or distance adjustment, or to require the operator to continually return the wheel to the straight-ahead steered condition to acquire updated measurements of an alignment angle or distance currently being adjusted.
Claims35
A method for determining a relationship between a steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement and a steering angle, comprising:
- acquiring a first set vehicle measurements, said first set of vehicle measurements including at least one measure of a steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement at a first steering-angle of a steered vehicle wheel;
- acquiring a second set of vehicle measurements, said second set of vehicle measurements including at least one measure of said steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement at said second steering-angle of a steered vehicle wheel;
- and
- determining a relationship between a steering-angle and said steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement utilizing said first and second sets of vehicle measurements.
A method for repsenting a steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement, comprising:
- acquiring a set of vehicle measurements, said set of vehicle measurements including at least one measure of a steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement at a first steering-angle of a steered vehicle wheel, and at least one measure of said steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement at a selected steering-angle different from said first steering-angle;
- calculating, from said set of vehicle measurements, an amount of change in said steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement associated with said selected steering-angle;
- utilizing said change in said steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement and said at least one measure of said steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement at said first steering-angle, to calculate a steering-angle compensated representation of said steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement.
A method for compensating for steering-angle deviations of a steered vehicle wheel alignment camber angle, comprising:
- acquiring a set of alignment angle measurements for the steered vehicle wheel, said set of alignment angle measurements including at least
- a calculated measurement (K) of a caster angle of the steered vehicle wheel,
- a calculated measurement (S) of a steering axis inclination angle of the steered vehicle wheel, and
- a measurement of the camber alignment angle (C1) at a first steering-angle of said steered vehicle wheel, and
- at least one measurement (C2) of the camber alignment angle at a second steering angle of said steered vehicle wheel;
- and
- calculating, from said set of alignment angle measurements, a representation of deviation in the camber alignment angle (C2) associated with said second steering-angle (T) from said at least one measurement (C1).
A method for compensating for steering-angle deviations of a steered vehicle wheel live caster alignment angle, comprising:
- acquiring a set of alignment angle measurements at said steered vehicle wheel, said set of alignment angle measurements including
- a calculated measurement (K) of a caster angle of said steered vehicle wheel,
- a calculated measurement (S) of a steering axis inclination angle of said steered vehicle wheel,
- a measure of a live caster angle (KLive1) at a first steering-angle of said steered vehicle wheel, and
- at least one measurement (KLive2) of a live caster angle at a second steering angle of said steered vehicle wheel;
- and
- calculating, from said set of alignment angle measurements, a representation of deviation in said live caster alignment angle (KLive2) associated with said second steering-angle (T) for the steered vehicle wheel from said at least one measurement (KLive1).
A method for compensating for steering-angle deviations of a steering-sensitive alignment angle, comprising:
- acquiring a set of alignment angle measurements for a steered vehicle wheel, said set of alignment angle measurements including at least one measure of said steering-sensitive alignment angle at a first steering-angle of said steered vehicle wheel, at least one measure of said steering-sensitive alignment angle at a different steering-angle than said predetermined steering-angle;
- and
- calculating, from said set of alignment angle measurements, a relationship between said steering-sensitive alignment angle measurements and a change in said steering-angle of said steered vehicle wheel, said relationship establishing a representation of deviation in said steering-sensitive alignment angle at a selected steering-angle from said measure of said steering sensitive alignment angle at said first steering-angle.
A method for identifying a state of a vehicle brake associated with a steered vehicle wheel, comprising:
- acquiring a set of alignment angle measurements of the steered vehicle wheel, said set of alignment angle measurements including a plurality of live caster angle measurements and a plurality of associated toe angle measurements;
- determining a relationship between a live caster angle measurement of the steered vehicle wheel and a toe angle measurement of the steered vehicle wheel from said acquired set of alignment angle measurements;
- comparing said set of alignment measurements with data from said determined relationship;
- and
- identifying a state of the vehicle brake associated with the steered vehicle wheel responsive to said comparison.
A method for diagnosing a vehicle steering system comprising:
- measuring a change in a rotational position of a steering wheel operatively coupled to the steered vehicle wheel by the vehicle steering system;
- measuring a change in a steered angle of a steered vehicle wheel responsive to the change in rotational position of said steering wheel;
- determining a steering ratio for the vehicle steering system from said measured change in said steered angle and said measured changed in said rotational position.
A method for diagnosing a vehicle steering and suspension system comprising:
- acquiring an outward-steered measurement of at least one alignment angle associated with a steered vehicle wheel at a first steering position;
- measuring an inward-steered measurement of said at least one alignment angle associated with said steered vehicle wheel at a second steering position;
- comparing said outward-steered measurement with said inward-steered measurement;
- and
- identifying an operative state of a vehicle component associated with said steered vehicle wheel responsive to said comparison.
An improved vehicle wheel alignment system including a processing unit and at least one sensor configured to acquire a set of vehicle measurements for communication to the processing unit, said set of vehicle measurements including at least one measure of a steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement at a first steering-angle of a steered vehicle wheel, the improvement, comprising:
- wherein the processing unit is configured to calculate, a relationship between a steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement for a selected steering-angle and said at least one measure of the steering-angle sensitive vehicle measurement at the first steering-angle.
A method for measuring a toe-out-on-turns effect of a vehicle steering and suspension geometry associated with a pair of steered vehicle wheels, comprising:
- acquiring an initial set of vehicle wheel alignment angle measurements for each steered vehicle wheel on an common axle as said steered vehicle wheels are steered through an arc;
- resolving a toe angle trend line for each of said steered vehicle wheels from said initial set of vehicle wheel alignment angle measurements;
- and
- calculating a toe-out-on-turns trend line for each steered vehicle wheel utilizing said resolved toe angle trend lines.
A method for profiling a vehicle steering and suspension system comprising:
- acquiring a set of position measurements for a part associated with a steered vehicle wheel as said steered vehicle wheel is steered, said set of positional measurements including a plurality of part position measurements and a plurality of associated toe angle measurements;
- determining a relationship between at least a portion of said positional measurements and said associated toe angle measurements;
- and
- generating a representation of an operative state of said part associated with said steered vehicle wheel from said determined relationship.
A method for measuring a body roll angle comprising:
- acquiring a set of vehicle measurements, said set of vehicle measurements including a plurality of ride height measurements for a left-side steered vehicle wheel, an associated plurality of left-side steered vehicle wheel toe angle measurements, a plurality of ride height measurements for a right-side steered vehicle wheel, and an associated plurality of right-side steered vehicle wheel toe angle measurements;
- determining a relationship between said left-side steered vehicle wheel ride height measurements and said associated left wheel toe angle measurements;
- and
- determining a relationship between said right=side steered vehicle wheel ride height measurements and said associated right-side steered vehicle wheel toe angle measurements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.