Vehicle straightener measuring unit, measuring apparatus reliant on reflected beam(s), and source, targets and method

An apparatus for determining frame alignment of a vehicle having vehicle reference points and having associated alignment specifications expressed as the positions of the respective reference points relative to a vehicle reference said apparatus comprising:

• at least one laser beam target including means for placing said target in a known relationship with a selected vehicle reference point;
• a laser unit having a pair of origins spaced a known distance apart, said laser unit including
• means for emitting respective laser beams from said origins toward said target, and
• means for determining when said respective laser beams are impinging on said target and for producing respective detection signals representative thereof;
• and
• signal processing means coupled with said laser unit for receiving said detection signals and responsive thereto for determining the respective angles of impingement relative to said origins and including means for using said known relationship, known distance and angles for determining the position of said vehicle reference point,
• said target being operable for reflecting a laser beam impinging thereon as a reflected beam and for modulating a reflected beam in a manner indicative of the spacing between said reference point and said reflected beam,
• said means for determining including means for detecting reflected beams from said targets and for demodulating said reflected beam,
• said signal processing means including means for determining said spacing and the reflection angles of said reflected beams relative to said origins as said respective angles,
• modulating said reflected beam in the manner indicative of the spacing between said reference point and said reflected beam relative to said target, and
• demodulating said reflected beam to determine said spacing,
• step (c) including the step of using said spacing for determining the position of said reference point relative to the vehicle reference.

A method for determining deformation of a vehicle body having reference points with specified positions:

• placing at least one target in known relationship with one of the reference points, said target being operable for reflecting a laser beam impinging thereon to produce a reflected beam;
• placing laser means operable for producing a laser beam emanating from an origin in relationship to said target for impingement of said beam thereon, said target and origin being at the respective apexes of a triangle;
• detecting at said origin a reflected beam from said target;
• determining the angle of said reflected beam relative to said origin, said angle establishing one angle of said triangle;
• establishing a second angle of said triangle and the length of one side thereof;
• using the known relationship between said target and said one of the reference points, said angles, and said length to determine in the computer the position of said reference point relative to a specified vehicle reference in order to determine any vehicle deformation concerning said reference point,
• said method further including the steps of
• modulating said reflected beam in the manner indicative of therebetween said reference point and said reflected beam relative to said target, and
• demodulating said reflected beam to determine said spacing, and
• using said said spacing for determining the position of said reference point.

An apparatus for determining frame alignment of a vehicle having vehicle reference points and having associated alignment specifications expressed as the positions of the respective reference points relative to a vehicle reference, said apparatus comprising:

• at least one beam reference structure including means for placing said reference structure in a known relationship with a selected vehicle reference point;
• and
• beam processing means including
• producing means for producing a reference beam emanating from said reference structure toward a detection location,
• detecting means at said location for detecting said reference beam and for producing detection signals representative thereof, and
• signal processing means including means for coupling with said detecting means for receiving said detection signals and responsive thereto for determining the position of the vehicle reference point,
• said reference structure including means for modulating said reflected beam in the manner indicative of the spacing between said reference point and said reflected beam relative to said referenced structure,
• said detecting means including means for demodulating said reflected beam to determine said spacing,
• said signal processing means including means for using said spacing for determining the position of said reference point.