Roadway simulator restraint
AssigneeMTS Systems Corporation
InventorWilliam J. Langer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A roadway simulator restraint system supports a vehicle at each of its wheels on simulated roadways which comprise endless belts suitably driven to cause wheel rotation. A plurality of passive links are provided for restraining the vehicle in longitudinal, lateral, and yaw degrees of freedom, while permitting free motion in roll and pitch moments, and vertical directions. Additionally, the linkages can provide inputs in aerodynamic force directions to simulate responses to vehicle dynamics during actual operation. The individual roadways that support the wheels can be independently controlled as to speed, and can be turned. Suitable force measurements are made in desired axes to provide for a complete controlled simulation of vehicle operation on an actual roadway.
Claims19
A restraint apparatus for a vehicle supported on a simulated roadway and being movable in longitudinal, lateral, yaw, pitch, roll, and vertical directions, said restraint apparatus comprising:
- first and second substantially parallel beams, first ends of the beams being mounted with respect to the vehicle at spaced connection locations thereon about universal pivotal connections that are each capable of moving about a connection point, a line between the connection points at the spaced connection locations of the first ends of the first and second beams passing through a desired kinematic center of the vehicle, opposite ends of said first and second beams being mounted with respect to a support base about universal pivoting connections;
- a first link having a longitudinal axis parallel to the line and being pivotally mounted at opposite ends thereof to the respective beams to couple the beams together;
- a second link coupled to said first link through a universal pivotal connection that pivots about a point lying in a plane normal to the first link and passing through the vehicle kinematic center;
- and
- means for coupling said second link to said base about a universal pivotal connection.
A restraint apparatus for a vehicle supported on a simulated roadway, said vehicle being movable in longitudinal, lateral, yaw, pitch, roll, and vertical directions, said restraint apparatus comprising:
- beam means having substantially parallel beams mounted with respect to the vehicle at spaced connection locations thereon about pivotal connections that are each capable of moving about a connection point, a line between the connection points at the spaced connection locations passing through a desired kinematic center of the vehicle, an opposite end of each of said beams being mounted with respect to a support base about a pivoting connection;
- a restraint linkage mounted to the beam means and having first and second link portions, said first link portion having ends pivotally connection to the beam means, between the ends of the beams, an end of the second link portion being connected to the first link portion through a movement of the beam means in desired degrees of freedom to restrain movement of the beam means in a longitudinal direction of the second link portion;
- and
- means for pivotally coupling said second link portion to said support base to restrain movement of the beam means in a longitudinal direction of the second link portion.
A restraint apparatus for a vehicle having a longitudinal axis supported on a simulated roadway that restrains said vehicle from substantial movement in longitudinal, lateral and yaw degrees of freedom and allows substantially unrestrained motion in roll, pitch and vertical degrees of freedom, said restraint apparatus comprising:
- first and second substantially parallel beams, first ends of each beam being pivotally coupled to the vehicle and the second ends of each beam being pivotally attached to a support base in such manner that said beams restrain motion of the vehicle along a first axis that passes generally through a vehicle kinematic center and restrain motion rotationally about a second axis which is perpendicular to said first axis and which passes generally through said vehicle kinematic center;
- a first link having opposite ends, each end thereof being pivotally connected at a point on each of first and second beams between the ends of each of said beams, with said first link being generally perpendicular to the first and second beams and generally parallel to a third axis which is mutually perpendicular to the first and second axes and which passes through said vehicle kinematic center;
- and
- a second link pivotally connected at a first end to said first link and pivotally connected at a second end to the support base in such manner that the restraining force provided by second link is generally coincident with a line between end pivots of said first link to restrain motion of the vehicle in the said third axis in combination with the first link and the first and second beams connected to the first link.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.