Calibration device for calibrating at least one folding angle sensor or steering angle sensor

Abstract

The invention relates to a calibration device (1) for calibrating at least one folding angle sensor or steering angle sensor, having a first orientation aid (2), wherein the first orientation aid extends straight in a longitudinal direction (18) and is designed in such a way that the wheels of at least one axle of a first vehicle body of a multi-section road vehicle and the wheels of an axle of a second vehicle body of the multi-section road vehicle can be driven onto the first orientation aid in order to enable the first and second vehicle bodies to be oriented in a straight position, and at least one pivotable first section (12, 12'), wherein the pivotable first section is arranged at a first position (19) in the longitudinal direction of the first orientation aid (2), and wherein the first section (12, 12') can be pivoted from a straight position (17) into a turning position, in order to enable the steerable wheels of the axles of the multi-section road vehicle to be pivoted together with the first section.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The invention relates to a calibration device and a method for calibrating at least one folding angle sensor or steering angle sensor of a multi-section road vehicle.

[0002] Furthermore, the invention also relates to a system having such a calibration device and a multi-section road vehicle. BACKGROUND

[0003] Known from the prior art are multi-section road vehicles of the type articulated buses, in particular rear- drive articulated buses, in which a two-axle or three-axle front vehicle section is connected to a rear vehicle section via an articulation with a folding bell. The engine and drive can be located in the front vehicle section or in the rear vehicle section.

[0004] In order to avoid imminent chassis damage or critical driving situations which reduce the driving stability of the vehicle, multi-section road vehicles usually have a folding angle sensor for each articulation between the vehicle sections. The folding angle sensor measures the angle which is enclosed between the longitudinal axes of the two coupled vehicle sections during driving. The measurement signal of the folding angle sensor is used for active intervention in the control of the vehicle. On the one hand, the folding angle can influence the folding angle damping of the articulation, but can also be used to adapt the engine power or to actively brake the vehicle.

[0005] In the prior art, the calibration of the folding angle sensor is carried out in a commissioning site in a large space without traffic and obstacles after the system integration, that is to say after the vehicle sections of the vehicle have been connected with the articulations. The vehicle is driven straight ahead at walking speed. A person walks behind the vehicle and measures the orientation along the side of the vehicle in order to estimate in which direction which vehicle section has to be turned in order to position all vehicle sections exactly one behind the other in the longitudinal direction. If this is the case, the vehicle is stopped with the folding angle sensor to be calibrated, the instantaneous measurement signal of the folding angle sensor is read and is marked as zero position in the articulation or in the vehicle control.

[0006] Furthermore, in multi-section road vehicles, the steering angle of the steering axle is detected with a so-called steering angle sensor. This steering angle sensor must also be calibrated after the vehicle has been completed. To this end, each steerable wheel is driven onto a turntable, on which the swivel angle of the wheel relative to the straight direction of the vehicle or relative to the straight direction of the respective vehicle section in which the wheel is located can be read. The wheels are steered manually into their mechanical steering stops and the associated pivot angles of the turntable are read. These pivot angles are then assigned to the instantaneous measurement signals of the steering angle sensor and saved in the vehicle control. In order to determine the measurement signal of the steering angle sensor for the straight position of the respective wheel, a conventional axle measuring system (laser angle measuring device) is fitted on the wheel rim of the vehicle and the wheel is adjusted such that the axle measuring system confirms the parallelism to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The associated measurement signal of the steering angle sensor is read and saved as the straight position in the vehicle control. Alternatively, in the prior art, the straight position of the wheel is also learned during slow driving. Here, the axle is steered manually or automatically so as to assume and maintain the straight position of the associated vehicle section as learned when calibrating the folding angle sensor.

[0007] The procedure described for calibrating folding angle sensors or steering angle sensors of multi-section road vehicles known from the prior art is laborious and is therefore only suitable for two-section road vehicles, in particular for buses having a front vehicle section and a rear vehicle section. SUMMARY

[0008] In contrast thereto, it is the task of the present application to provide a calibration device and a method for calibrating at least one folding angle sensor or steering angle sensor of a multi-section road vehicle, which enable a simplified calibration, in particular also for more complex multi-section road vehicles.

[0009] The above task is solved by a calibration device for calibrating at least one folding angle sensor or steering angle sensor of a multi-section road vehicle according to the present application. To this end, the calibration device has at least one first orientation aid, wherein the first orientation aid extends straight in the longitudinal direction. Here, the first orientation aid is designed such that the wheels of at least one axle of a first vehicle section of the multi-section road vehicle and the wheels of one axle, but preferably of two axles, of a second vehicle section of the multi-section road vehicle can be driven onto the first orientation aid such that the first and second vehicle sections are then oriented in a straight position. Furthermore, the calibration device has at least one pivotable first section, wherein the pivotable first section is arranged at a first position in the longitudinal direction of the first orientation aid. Here, the pivotable first section can be pivoted about a pivot axis from a straight position into a turned position, such that the steerable wheels of the axles of the road vehicle can be pivoted together with the first section.

[0010] The aforementioned tasks are also solved by a system having the calibration device and the multi-section road vehicle described below in embodiments. The multi-section road vehicle has a plurality of vehicle sections which are movably connected to one another and a plurality of axles which have wheels with tires.

[0011] The calibration device according to the application provides a calibration gauge to which the multi-section road vehicle is driven, wherein the first orientation aid defines a straight, front-to-back aligned arrangement of the vehicle sections of the road vehicle. Thus, after being driven onto the orientation aid, the vehicle sections are oriented according to the definition straight, so that all vehicle sections are positioned exactly front-to-back aligned on a straight line. The folding angle is in the straight position and the steering angle is in the zero position.

[0012] The articulation is in turn pre-calibrated on a test bench before being installed in the vehicle, typically for the folding angle sensor, so that only the straight position has to be adapted in the vehicle after system integration. Thus, it is sufficient for the folding angle sensor to be provided with a gauge which defines a straight, front-to-back aligned arrangement of the vehicle sections.

[0013] The calibration with the calibration device according to the application is clearly repeatable and can also be used for service and maintenance purposes. The calibration to a test site and the installation and removal of calibration aids such as axle measuring attachments are eliminated. The calibration device can be built at the end of the production line and occupies a space of at most one vehicle length. Personnel and time expenditure are greatly reduced by eliminating or avoiding individual errors of the operating personnel in estimating the correct straight position and zero position.

[0014] The following positioning of the pivotable section is to be understood as the straight position in the sense of the present application: the positioning causes the vehicle to drive straight when the positioning is transferred to the wheels of the pivotable axle.

[0015] While the calibration device according to the application can be realized with the first orientation aid alone, in an embodiment the calibration device additionally has a second orientation aid. Here, the first orientation aid and the second orientation aid extend straight in the longitudinal direction and parallel to one another, wherein the first orientation aid and the second orientation aid are arranged with a wheelbase from one another.

[0016] To realize the first and / or the second directional aid various possibilities exist. In one embodiment at least the first or the second directional aid is selected from the group consisting of a line drawn or projected on the drivable surface, a protrusion projecting with respect to the surface, a recess entering into the surface and a track rail or a combination thereof. A combination of these realizations of the first or the second directional aid can be realized for example by the first directional aid being a track rail and the second directional aid being a line drawn on the drivable surface. However, a combination can also be realized for example by the first directional aid having a section in the longitudinal direction realized as a line drawn on and a section realized as a track rail.

[0017] If at least the first or the second directional aid is a first or a second track rail, in one embodiment the first and / or the second section is a first or a second track section.

[0018] It is to be understood that in one embodiment at least the first or the second directional aid has a length in the longitudinal direction which is at least as large as to fit all wheels of a road vehicle to be calibrated.

[0019] It is conceivable that only one wheel of a steerable axle is accommodated on the pivotable first section. However, in one embodiment the calibration device has a pair consisting of a pivotable first section and a pivotable second section, wherein the pivotable second section is arranged at a first position in the longitudinal direction and wherein the pivotable second section can be pivoted from a straight position into a turned position, so that a steerable wheel of an axle of a road vehicle can be pivoted together with the first and the second section. In such an embodiment the steering angle sensors of two wheels of an axle can be calibrated independently from each other. Such a separate calibration of two wheels of an axle can be advantageous not only when the two wheels are mechanically coupled via a steering rod, but also when the steering sections of the two wheels of an axle are each designed as single-wheel steering sections. In the case of a mechanical coupling via a steering rod, in one embodiment the average value of the two steering angle sensors is used for the calibration.

[0020] A multi-segment road vehicle is driven onto the calibration device so that one steerable wheel of an axle is arranged on one pair of pivotable first sections and preferably a second wheel of this axle is arranged on the same pair of pivotable second sections consisting of pivotable first and second sections. Then, by actively or passively turning the steerable wheel of this axle, one or more steering angle sensors of this axle can be calibrated.

[0021] In one embodiment of the application, the pivotable first section and optionally the pivotable second section are each constructed in the manner of a turntable. Although it is possible to design the sections so as to be pivotable about a rigid axis which is essentially perpendicular to the plane in which the first and second orientation aids are deployed, the following embodiment of the application is preferred, in which the pivotable first and second sections are each supported floatingly, so as to compensate for the camber of the wheels when the wheels are turned, for example, and also for the fact that the pivot axis typically does not pass through the point of contact of the wheels.

[0022] In an embodiment of the application, the multi-section road vehicle has a plurality of steered axles, wherein the plurality of steered axles is preferably arranged on at least one first and one second vehicle body. The design of such a multi-section road vehicle corresponds to the typical design of a trolley bus.

[0023] In one embodiment of the application, the multi-section road vehicle has a plurality of steering angle sensors on a plurality of axles. In a further embodiment, the multi-section road vehicle has a plurality of vehicle bodies, wherein between two vehicle bodies there is arranged a folding angle sensor for detecting the folding angle between the two vehicle bodies, respectively.

[0024] Although the advantages which can be achieved with the sensors of the calibration device according to the application are still clearly present when calibrating a two-section road vehicle, such as a pusher articulated bus, they are even greater in the case of road vehicles having more than two vehicle bodies. A road vehicle having three vehicle bodies and six axles, two axles per vehicle body, in which all the wheels on the six axles are steered, typically has twelve steering angle sensors and two folding angle sensors, one per articulation between two vehicle bodies. This means that, in this case, 14 sensors have to be calibrated. Such vehicles are also referred to as "trolley buses" and replace the rail-bound traction system by road vehicles with high capacity which either drive on their own road or on public roads. Due to their length, these vehicles must have a plurality of steered axles.

[0025] Although the calibration device can also be used for a conventional vehicle having two vehicle bodies and one steered axle, in one embodiment the calibration device has at least two pivotable first sections which are spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction. In one embodiment, the calibration device has at least two pairs of pivotable first and second sections, wherein the pairs are each spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction.

[0026] In one embodiment of the application, the calibration device has an angle measurer for detecting at least the pivot angle of the first or second section, which is pivotable, relative to a straight positioning. It is possible to use only one angle measurer per axle, as long as it is ensured that the second wheel, and thus possibly the second section, performs the same pivot movement as the first wheel. However, it is expedient in one embodiment that each pivotable section of a pair has an angle measurer.

[0027] In principle, all possible types of measuring devices can be considered as angle measurers, which enable the measurement of the pivot angle of a pivotable section relative to a straight positioning of the section and thus the measurement of the actual steering angle of the respective wheel of the vehicle. An example of this is a scale element with an angular scale and a pointer, which can be read by the eyes of an operator. However, electronic, optical and other angle measurers are also possible, which output a measurement signal, for example optical or electrical, directly. The measurement signal represents a measure of the pivot angle.

[0028] In one embodiment of the application, the calibration device comprises a display screen for visually displaying the pivot angle. Here, the display can be a mechanical display with a scale and a pointer, but also a screen. The measurement signal of the pivot angle, which is visualized on the display screen, is then read by the user and input into the vehicle control.

[0029] Alternatively or additionally to the display screen, the calibration device has a control in one embodiment, which is in operative connection with the angle measurer, so that the control obtains the measurement signal from the angle measurer in the calibration device operation. Here, the control has an interface, which can be connected with a complementary interface of the road vehicle, wherein the control is set up such that it outputs a calibration signal to at least the folding angle sensor or the steering angle sensor of the road vehicle via the interface in the calibration device operation.

[0030] In one embodiment, the pivot movement of the first and / or second section is induced by steering the wheels of the axle by means of the steering.

[0031] However, it is also possible that instead the first or the second section is connected with a drive motor, so that the first or the second section can be pivoted in a motor-driven manner. In one embodiment, the calibration device thus has at least one drive motor, wherein the drive motor is at least operatively connected with the first and the second section, so that at least the first and the second section can be pivoted in a motor-driven manner. Although it is possible to drive both sections of a pair of sections, in one embodiment it is sufficient to drive only one section of the two sections. The pivoting movement of the second section of the pair is then effected by the mechanical coupling of the wheels via the steering portion. In such an embodiment, the calibration process can be carried out fully automatically, wherein the operator does not have to read the pivoting angle and does not have to steer the vehicle.

[0032] In one embodiment of the application, at least the first or the second section can be locked in a straight position. In this way it can be ensured that the vehicle, after it has been driven onto the calibration device, is not only oriented with its vehicle body in the longitudinal direction, but also that the steerable wheels, preferably all the wheels of the steerable axles, are in a straight position. In order to calibrate the steering angle sensor at the end stop, the locking can then be released, preferably automatically.

[0033] In one embodiment of the application, at least the first or the second orientation aid has a rail profile, wherein at least the first or the second rail profile has an L-shaped or U-shaped profile. Here, the profile has an active surface for the tire ground contact surface of the tire of the wheel of the road vehicle and at least one guide surface for guiding the sidewall of the tire. Preferably, both the first and the second rail profile have such an L-shaped or U-shaped profile. By means of such a profile it can be ensured that a multi-section road vehicle, after it has been driven onto the calibration device, is oriented with all its vehicle bodies one after the other into a zero position. In one embodiment, the pivotable section, in such an embodiment a rail section, also has such an L-shaped or U-shaped profile. It is thus ensured that the wheels of a multi-section road vehicle, after it has been driven onto it, are all oriented into a straight position.

[0034] In an alternative embodiment to this, at least the first or the second rail profile has an active surface for the tire ground contact surface of the tire of the wheel of the road vehicle and a guide edge for guiding the rim. In one embodiment, both the first and the second rail profile are designed with an active surface and a guide edge.

[0035] In such an embodiment, the system comprising the calibration device and the multi-section road vehicle then comprises a plurality of rims, wherein the rims are connected in a removable manner with the wheels on a plurality of axles. Since according to the application the road vehicle is a road vehicle which naturally does not have rims in everyday use. In such an embodiment, these rims have to be assembled on the wheels of the vehicle before calibration and removed again after calibration.

[0036] In one embodiment of the calibration device, but especially in embodiments of the calibration device in which the first and / or second track branch has an L-shaped or U-shaped profile, respectively, the wheelbase between the first and second directional aids can be changed. In this way, the calibration device can be adjusted to road vehicles having different wheel tracks.

[0037] In one embodiment of the application, the distance in the longitudinal direction between the two pivotable first sections or between the two pairs each having a pivotable first and second section can also be changed in an adjustable manner. In this way, the calibration device is made adaptable to road vehicles of different construction types having different wheelbases from one another.

[0038] The application also relates to the use of a calibration device as in the aforementioned embodiments or of a system having such a calibration device and a multi-section road vehicle as in the aforementioned embodiments for calibrating at least one folding angle sensor or steering angle sensor of a multi-section road vehicle.

[0039] At least one of the aforementioned tasks is also solved by a method according to the application for calibrating at least one folding angle sensor or steering angle sensor of a multi-section road vehicle having a plurality of vehicle sections which are connected to one another in a movable manner. To this end, the method has the following steps:

[0040] causing a plurality of wheels of the road vehicle distributed over a plurality of vehicle sections to travel onto a first directional aid,

[0041] wherein the first directional aid extends straight in the longitudinal direction,

[0042] so that at least one wheel of the steerable axle is arranged on a first section pivotable about a pivot axis at a first positioning in the longitudinal direction, and

[0043] so that the vehicle section is oriented along the longitudinal direction,

[0044] orienting the pivotable first section into a straight positioning parallel to the longitudinal direction, and

[0045] at least

[0046] marking the instantaneous measurement value of the steering angle sensor of the steerable axle as a straight attitude in the control of the road vehicle, or

[0047] marking the instantaneous measurement value of the folding angle sensor as a zero positioning in the control of the road vehicle.

[0048] The aspects described below with respect to the method according to the application also apply to the calibration device for calibrating at least one folding angle sensor or steering angle sensor of a multi-section road vehicle described previously, and vice versa. Insofar as the method is carried out using a calibration device according to an embodiment of the application, the calibration device comprises the corresponding means therefor. In particular, embodiments of the calibration device are suitable for carrying out embodiments of the method described herein.

[0049] In one embodiment, the calibration device also has a second directional aid, wherein the first directional aid and the second directional aid extend straight in the longitudinal direction and parallel to one another, and wherein the first directional aid and the second directional aid are arranged at a wheelbase distance from one another. It is understood that, when using this variant of the calibration device, the plurality of wheels of the road vehicle distributed over the plurality of vehicle bodies are driven onto the first directional aid and the second directional aid.

[0050] In one embodiment, the method additionally has the following steps:

[0051] pivoting the wheel together with the first section into a steered positioning of the steerable axle in a first steering direction,

[0052] measuring the actual pivot angle of the first section relative to the straight positioning, and

[0053] assigning the actual pivot angle to the instantaneous measurement signal of the steering angle sensor of the steerable axle in the control of the vehicle.

[0054] It is understood that, in a further embodiment, these steps are repeated for a second steering direction opposite the first steering direction. To this end, the method has the following steps:

[0055] pivoting the wheel together with the first section into a steered positioning of the steerable axle in a second steering direction opposite the first steering direction,

[0056] measuring the actual pivot angle of the first section relative to the straight positioning, and

[0057] assigning the actual pivot angle to the instantaneous measurement signal of the steering angle sensor of the steerable axle in the control of the road vehicle.

[0058] The same method steps can additionally or alternatively also be carried out using a second section for a respective further wheel of the steerable axle.

[0059] In one embodiment, the steered positioning of the steerable axle is a respective steering stop, that is to say a maximum steered positioning of the respective wheel.

[0060] In one embodiment, the wheels and the first section are pivoted into the plurality of first or second turning positions in succession, so that a plurality of actual pivot angles of the first section relative to the straight position is measured within the pivot range, preferably within the complete pivot range between the straight position and the respective turning stop, and the respective actual pivot angle is assigned to the respective instantaneous measurement signal of the steering angle sensor of the steerable axle in the control of the road vehicle. In this way, a characteristic curve of the steering angle sensor is recorded with a set of measurement values.

[0061] In one embodiment, the method has the following steps in addition:

[0062] Before the vehicle is driven onto the first orientation aid, the first section is locked in the straight position,

[0063] Before the wheels are pivoted, the locking of the first section is released, and

[0064] When the calibration is complete and the first section is again in the straight position, the first section is relocked. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0065] Further advantages, features and possibilities of application of the present application will become apparent from the following description of embodiments and from the attached drawings. In the drawings, identical elements are marked with the same reference numerals.

[0066] Figure 1 A schematic isometric view showing an embodiment of a calibration device according to the present application;

[0067] Figure 2 A schematic, partially exploded top view of a first track section. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0068] Figure 1 An embodiment of a calibration device 1 is shown schematically. The shown calibration device is used to calibrate a three-section road vehicle, i.e. a trolley bus having three carriages, wherein each two carriages are movably connected to each other. Each of the three carriages has two steered axles.

[0069] The vehicle to be calibrated thus has two folding angle sensors and twelve steering angle sensors. The folding angle sensors are used to measure the folding angle relative to a zero position between two carriages movably connected to each other. The zero position is defined by a straight, front-to-back aligned arrangement of the carriages. The steering angle sensors of the vehicle, on the other hand, measure the steering angle of each wheel relative to a straight course of the respective axle.

[0070] The calibration device 1 consists of a first track branch 2 and a second track branch 3, which are oriented parallel to each other and straight in the sense of the application as an implementation of the first and second orientation aids. If the trolley is guided onto the first and second track branches 2, 3, the three carriages are aligned in accordance with the definition and a zero position is determined. If the instantaneous measurement of the folding angle sensor of the vehicle is assigned to the zero position, a value which is important for the calibration of the folding angle sensor is determined. The assignment of the zero position to the instantaneous measurement of the respective folding angle sensor is stored in the vehicle control or in the joint control of the joints between the carriages.

[0071] In order to guide the vehicle or its wheels, each track branch 2, 3 has, in the embodiment shown, a tread contact surface 4 for the tread of the wheels of the vehicle and a guide edge 5. The guide edge 5 guides the wheel flange which is fitted on each wheel for calibration. Thus, in the embodiment shown, the road vehicle behaves like a rail vehicle on the calibration device 1.

[0072] In addition, the calibration device 1 has six pairs 6 to 11 of pivotable first and second track sections 12, 13, which correspond to the number of axles of the vehicle. These pivotable first and second track sections 12, 13 form, in the sense of the application, a specific design of the pivotable sections. These pivotable track sections 12, 13 are used to calibrate the respective steering angle sensor on each wheel. In the embodiment shown, the pivotable first and second track sections 12, 13 can be locked in the straight position shown in Fig. 1, so that, after the vehicle has been driven onto the calibration device 1, all wheels are defined to be in a straight attitude. The straight attitude is then assigned to each instantaneous measurement of the twelve steering angle sensors and saved in the vehicle control. Figure 1 In the next step, the locking of the respective pivotable track sections 12, 13 is released for calibration, so that these pivotable track sections can be pivoted together with the wheels of the vehicle.

[0073] In the embodiment shown, the pivotable track sections 12, 13 are supported in a floating and pivotable manner, so that the fact that the pivot axis of the wheel does not necessarily pass through the wheel contact surface is taken into account.

[0074] While it is conceivable that, in one embodiment, the pivotable track sections 12, 13 are pivoted in a motor-driven manner, so that the wheels are passively pivoted together, this is reversed in the embodiment shown. The steering of the vehicle or of the respective steerable axles of the vehicle is manipulated in order to pivot the track sections 12, 13.

[0075] While it is conceivable that, in one embodiment, the pivotable track sections 12, 13 are pivoted in a motor-driven manner, so that the wheels are passively pivoted together, this is reversed in the embodiment shown. The steering of the vehicle or of the respective steerable axles of the vehicle is manipulated in order to pivot the track sections 12, 13.

[0076] In order to determine two further characteristic points in the calibration of the steering angle sensors, all wheels are first turned in a first turning direction until the respective steering stop is reached. Here, the direction of the pivoting movement of the individual wheels can be different from one another or can also be identical. If a trolley with three carriages and two steered axles per carriage is proposed for curve travel, then, for example, in curve travel the wheels of the first axle on each carriage are turned in one direction and the wheels of the second axle are turned in the other direction. After each wheel has reached the maximum turning angle in the first direction, the instantaneous measured signal of the steering angle sensor of the respective wheel is assigned to the actually measured pivoting angle a of the pivotable track section 12, 13 relative to the straight positioning.

[0077] The same procedure is then repeated for each wheel in the opposite pivoting direction until the second steering stop is reached and the instantaneous measured signal of the steering angle sensor is assigned to the actually measured pivoting angle of the respective track section relative to the straight positioning.

[0078] In order to enable a simple calibration of all six axles or twelve wheels, each pivotable track section 12, 13 has an electronic angle measurer which detects the pivoting angle with direction and value relative to the straight positioning of the respective track section and outputs it to the central control 15 of the calibration device 1 via a bus line 14. In order to be able to assign in the vehicle control the value of the deflection of the pivotable track section 12, 13 relative to the straight positioning measured by the angle measurer to the respective measured value of the steering angle sensor, the control 15 of the calibration device 1 has an interface 16. The interface 16 can be connected to a complementary interface of the respective vehicle.

[0079] Figure 2 A schematic top view of the first track branch 2 with the pivotable first track section 12 is shown. The straight positioning 17 and the positioning of the first track section 12' when the exemplary steering stop of the steering movement of the wheel is reached are shown. The pivoting angle to be measured is denoted a in the figure.

[0080] For the purpose of original disclosure, it is to be noted that all features which become apparent to a person skilled in the art from the present specification, the drawings and the claims, i.e. even if these features are not specifically described in combination with certain further features, can be pursued individually and in arbitrary combination with other features or groups of features disclosed herein, unless such a combination is explicitly excluded or such a combination is technically not possible or meaningless. A comprehensive, explicit representation of all conceivable feature combinations is omitted here for reasons of brevity and readability of the description.

[0081] While the application has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive; the application is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.

[0082] Modifications and improvements to the embodiments disclosed in the drawings and described in the foregoing are obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art. The word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. The mere fact that certain features are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these features can not be used to advantage. The reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the protection.

[0083] List of reference signs

[0084] 1 calibration device

[0085] 2 first track branch

[0086] 3 second track branch

[0087] 4 active surface

[0088] 5 guide edge

[0089] 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 pair

[0090] 12, 12', 13 track section

[0091] 14 bus line

[0092] 15 control unit

[0093] 16 interface

[0094] 17 straight positioning

[0095] 18 longitudinal direction

[0096] 19 first positioning in longitudinal direction

[0097] 20 second positioning in longitudinal direction

[0098] a swivel angle

[0099] S wheel base

Claims

1. Calibration device (1) for calibrating at least one folding angle sensor or steering angle sensor of a multi-section road vehicle, the calibration device having a first orientation aid (2), the first orientation aid (2) extending straight in a longitudinal direction (18), and wherein the first orientation aid (2) is designed such that wheels of at least one axle of a first vehicle compartment of the multi-section road vehicle and wheels of an axle of a second vehicle compartment of the multi-section road vehicle can be driven onto the first orientation aid such that the first and second vehicle compartments are then oriented in a straight position, at least one pivotable first section (12, 12'), wherein the pivotable first section (12, 12') is arranged at a first position (19) in the longitudinal direction of the first orientation aid (2), and wherein the first section (12, 12') can be pivoted from a straight position (17) into a turning position, such that steerable wheels of axles of the multi-section road vehicle can be pivoted together with the first section (12, 12'). The calibration device (1) has a second orientation aid (3), wherein the first orientation aid (2) and the second orientation aid (3) extend straight and parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction (18), and wherein the first orientation aid (2) and the second orientation aid (3) are arranged with a wheel base (S) from each other. wherein The at least first orientation aid (2) is selected from the group consisting of a line drawn or projected on a drivable surface, a protrusion relative to the surface, a recess into the surface and a track branch or combinations thereof. The at least first orientation aid (2) or the second orientation aid (3) is selected from the group consisting of a line drawn or projected on a drivable surface, a protrusion relative to the surface, a recess into the surface and a track branch or combinations thereof. The calibration device (1) has a pair (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11) consisting of the pivotable first section (12, 12') and a pivotable second section (13), wherein the pivotable second section (13) is arranged at the first position (19) in the longitudinal direction (18), and wherein the pivotable second section (13) can be pivoted from a straight position (17) into a turning position, such that steerable wheels of axles of the road vehicle can be pivoted together with the first and second sections.

2. The calibration device (1) according to claim 1, wherein The calibration device (1) has an angle measurer for detecting at least a pivot angle (a) of the pivotable first section (12, 12') relative to the straight position (17).

3. The calibration device (1) according to claim 1, wherein The calibration device (1) has an angle measurer for detecting at least a pivot angle (a) of the pivotable first section (12, 12') or the pivotable second section (13) relative to the straight position (17).

4. The calibration device (1) according to claim 2, wherein The calibration device (1) has at least one further pivotable first section (12, 12') at a second position (20) in the longitudinal direction (18).

5. The calibration device (1) according to claim 1, wherein ​ ​ ​ 6. The calibration device (1) according to claim 1, wherein ​ 7. The calibration device (1) according to claim 5, wherein ​ 8. The calibration device (1) according to claim 1, wherein ​ 9. The calibration device (1) according to claim 5, wherein The calibration device (1) has a further pair (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11) at a second positioning (20) in the longitudinal direction (18), which further pair consists of a further pivotable first section (12, 12') and a further pivotable second section (13).

10. The calibration device (1) according to claim 6, wherein The calibration device (1) has a control unit (15), wherein the control unit (15) is operatively connected to the angle measurer, such that the control unit (15) obtains a measurement signal from the angle measurer in operation of the calibration device (1), and wherein the control unit (15) has an interface (16) which is connectable to an interface (16) of the road vehicle, and wherein the control unit (15) is set up such that it outputs a calibration signal via the interface (16) at least for a folding angle sensor or a steering angle sensor of the road vehicle in operation of the calibration device (1).

11. The calibration device (1) according to claim 1, wherein At least the first directional aid is a rail line, and wherein at least the first rail line has an L-shaped or U-shaped profile with an active surface (4) for a tire ground contact surface of a tire of a wheel of the road vehicle and at least one guide surface for guiding a sidewall of the tire.

12. The calibration device (1) according to claim 2, wherein At least the first directional aid (2) or the second directional aid (3) is a rail line, and wherein at least the first rail line or the second rail line has an L-shaped or U-shaped profile with an active surface (4) for a tire ground contact surface of a tire of a wheel of the road vehicle and at least one guide surface for guiding a sidewall of the tire.

13. The calibration device (1) according to claim 1, wherein At least the first section (12, 12') is lockable in the straight positioning (17).

14. The calibration device (1) according to claim 5, wherein At least the first section (12, 12') or the second section (13) is lockable in the straight positioning (17).

15. The calibration device (1) according to claim 1, wherein The distance between the two pivotable first sections (12, 12') in the longitudinal direction (18) is adjustable.

16. System with a calibration device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 15 and a multi-section road vehicle, wherein The multi-section road vehicle has a plurality of carriages which are movably connected to each other and a plurality of axles with wheels having tires.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein, The multi-section road vehicle has a plurality of steering axles.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein, The plurality of steering axles is arranged on at least one first and second carriage.

19. Use of a calibration device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 15 or of a system according to claim 16 for calibrating at least one folding angle sensor or steering angle sensor of a multi-section road vehicle.

20. Method for calibrating at least one folding angle sensor or steering angle sensor of a multi-section road vehicle with a plurality of carriages which are movably connected to each other, the method having the following steps: causing a plurality of wheels of the road vehicle distributed over a plurality of carriages to travel onto a first directional aid (2), wherein, the first directional aid (2) extending straight in a longitudinal direction (18), so that at least one wheel of the steerable axle is arranged on the first section (12, 12') pivotable about a pivot axis in a first position (19) in the longitudinal direction (18), and so that the vehicle body is oriented in a straight position along the longitudinal direction (18), the pivotable first section (12, 12') is oriented into a straight position (17) parallel to the longitudinal direction (18), and at least the instantaneous measurement of the steering angle sensor of the steerable axle is marked as a straight position in the control unit (15) of the road vehicle, or the instantaneous measurement of the folding angle sensor is marked as a zero position in the control unit (15) of the road vehicle.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein, The method additionally has the following steps: pivoting the wheel together with the first section (12, 12') in a first steering direction into a turning position of the steerable axle, measuring the actual pivot angle of the first section (12, 12') relative to the straight position (17), and in the control unit (15) of the vehicle, the actual pivot angle is assigned to the instantaneous measurement signal of the steering angle sensor of the steerable axle.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein, The method additionally has the following steps: locking the first section (12, 12') in the straight position (17) before the vehicle is driven onto the first orientation aid, releasing the locking of the first section (12, 12') before the wheel is pivoted, and when the calibration is complete and the first section (12, 12') is again in the straight position (17), relocking the first section (12, 12').

Images