Movable jack

Abstract

The invention relates to a mobile jack (10) for receiving a wheel (6) of a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle (4), comprising: a base (12) having rolling elements (14) for movably supporting the base (12) on the ground (8); a lifting element (20) arranged on the base (12) and provided for receiving a wheel (6); at least one lifting device (24), which is designed to vary the height of the lifting element (22) relative to the base (12); and at least one drive device (30) which is designed to drive at least one of the rolling elements (14) in order to move the mobile jack (10) on the ground (8).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a mobile jack for receiving and lifting the wheels of a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, in the area of ​​a repair shop. The invention also relates to a method for transporting a motor vehicle using the mobile jack according to the invention. Background Art

[0002] Mechanical maneuvering aids are known which allow a motor vehicle to be moved manually, i.e. by muscle force, in the area of ​​a repair station. Such maneuvering aids can be designed with a manually operated hydraulic lifting device which can lift a motor vehicle arranged on the maneuvering aid by a few centimeters so that the wheels of the motor vehicle lose contact with the ground and the motor vehicle can be moved arbitrarily on the ground. Summary of the invention

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a maneuvering aid for a motor vehicle which facilitates the movement of the motor vehicle on the ground.

[0004] The mobile jack according to the invention for receiving a wheel of a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, comprises: a base having rolling elements, which support the base movably on the ground; a lifting element arranged on the base, which is provided for receiving the wheel; and at least one lifting device, which is configured to move the lifting element selectively upward and downward in order to change the height of the lifting element relative to the base.

[0005] The travel jack according to the invention also has at least one drive device which is designed to drive at least one of the rolling elements in order to move the travel jack on the ground.

[0006] The drive device of the mobile jack according to the present invention simplifies the movement of the mobile jack on the ground. Therefore, the motor vehicle can be easily and comfortably operated on the ground by means of the mobile jack according to the present invention.

[0007] In one embodiment, the rolling elements are designed as balls, which can each rotate around an axis oriented arbitrarily in space. Thus, the mobile jack can move on the ground in any direction and can also rotate in place.

[0008] In one embodiment, the drive device comprises a first drive mechanism and a second drive mechanism. The first drive mechanism is configured to rotate the ball around a first axis, and the second drive mechanism is configured to rotate the ball around a second axis. Here, the second axis is oriented transversely to, in particular orthogonally to, the first axis.

[0009] Each drive mechanism can have a friction element, such as a friction disk, which is designed to drive the balls by friction between the balls and the friction element when the friction element rotates. Such a drive device allows the balls to be rotated in a targeted manner around an axis oriented in any space. In particular, the orientation of the axis of rotation of the balls in space can be changed by changing the rotation speed of the two friction elements.

[0010] In one specific embodiment, the lifting element is designed to support a wheel of a motor vehicle in such a way that the wheel can be rotated about its axis of rotation. The lifting element can in particular have rollers which support the wheel of the motor vehicle in such a way that the wheel can be rotated about its axis of rotation. A lifting element designed in this way allows a wheel supported on the lifting element to be rotated about its axis of rotation in order to diagnose and / or adjust vehicle parameters.

[0011] In one specific embodiment, the mobile jack has at least one tire sensor which is designed to detect the state of a wheel supported on the lifting element.

[0012] Such a tire sensor can be, for example, an optical tire sensor which allows optical damage inspection of a wheel arranged on a lifting element and / or identification and inspection of the tread depth or wear distribution of the wheel / tire. The optical tire sensor can be designed as a 2D camera or a 3D camera.

[0013] Optical tire sensors can be designed to detect light in the visible range, infrared light and / or UV light.

[0014] The tire sensor can also include a lighting device having a light source, which is designed to illuminate the region of the wheel detected by the optical tire sensor with light, in particular light in the visible range, infrared light and / or UV light, in order to improve the quality of the measurement results provided by the tire sensor.

[0015] The tire sensor provided on the mobile jack can also be designed as an air pressure sensor which allows the tire pressure monitoring sensors present in the wheels to be read out, for example via wireless Bluetooth communication or NFC communication, in order to check the air pressure in the tires of the wheels.

[0016] In one embodiment, the travel jack comprises at least one width compensation element, which allows the width of the travel jack to be varied. The width compensation element can be designed, for example, as a telescopic element, which has variable dimensions.

[0017] By means of the width compensation element, the mobile jack can be adapted to tires of different sizes. Thus, the mobile jack can be used in conjunction with a large number of different tire types and tire specifications.

[0018] In one embodiment, the travel jack is provided with a receptacle or coupling which allows the travel jack to be coupled to an external device, such as a lifting device / lifting platform, in order to lift the travel jack and a motor vehicle arranged thereon.

[0019] In one specific embodiment, the travel jack has a control device which is designed to actuate at least one drive device in order to move the travel jack on the ground.

[0020] By means of such a control device, the mobile jack can be moved automatically on the ground at the repair station. The process of maneuvering a motor vehicle by means of the mobile jack according to the invention can thereby be further simplified. In particular, the movements of a plurality of mobile jacks arranged under the wheels of the motor vehicle can be coordinated with one another so that the motor vehicle can be maneuvered by the joint movement of the mobile jacks on the ground at the repair station.

[0021] In one embodiment, the mobile jack has a navigation device which allows the current position of the mobile jack on the ground to be determined. The navigation device can be designed in particular to determine the current position of the mobile jack at the work site and / or storage site. In this way, the movement of the mobile jack can be automated. The use of the mobile jack can thus be further simplified.

[0022] In one embodiment, the mobile jack has a communication device which is designed to communicate with a communication device of at least one other mobile jack and / or with a communication device of an external control device. The communication can be wireless, for example via WLAN, A mobile radio network, a satellite-supported communication network or by means of infrared light. For communication via mobile radio, a SIM card can be provided in the communication device.

[0023] The mobile jacks can be controlled from the outside by means of the communication device. The communication device also allows a plurality of mobile jacks to communicate with one another in order to coordinate their movements. In particular, the movements of a plurality of mobile jacks can be coordinated in such a way that they jointly receive all wheels of the motor vehicle and transport the motor vehicle to a predetermined position in a movement coordinated with one another.

[0024] The invention also comprises a set of a plurality of travel jacks according to the invention, in particular a set of four travel jacks, wherein the travel jacks of the set of travel jacks are designed to communicate with one another in order to coordinate their movements with one another.

[0025] The invention also includes an area of ​​use, such as a repair shop site, a work site and / or a storage site or a larger site, such as a company site, which has a floor and a communication device, which is designed to communicate with at least one mobile jack according to the invention. The communication device can be designed in particular for example via WLAN, Wireless communication takes place via a mobile radio network, a satellite-supported network for communication and / or position determination, and / or infrared light. For communication via a mobile radio network, a SIM card can be provided in the communication device.

[0026] In the use area of ​​the mobile jacks, position sensors, such as optical position sensors, can additionally be provided, which allow the current position of at least one mobile jack in the use area to be determined and communicated to the control device. The control device can be arranged on at least one of the mobile jacks or as an external control device.

[0027] The invention also includes a method for transporting a motor vehicle using a set of mobile jacks according to the invention. The method comprises, in particular, actuating the mobile jacks in such a way that each of the mobile jacks moves toward one of the wheels of the motor vehicle, receives and lifts the corresponding wheel of the motor vehicle, and the mobile jacks transport the lifted motor vehicle in a coordinated manner to a predetermined destination.

[0028] In an application described as an example, a motor vehicle is parked by the driver in a previously defined parking area.

[0029] The camera-based monitoring of the parking area detects that a motor vehicle has been parked there and sends a command to the four mobile jacks designed according to the invention to retrieve the motor vehicle.

[0030] The mobile jack then independently moves to the parked motor vehicle, identifies the corresponding wheel or its position of use on the motor vehicle and lifts the motor vehicle with the aid of its lifting elements and lifting device. The mobile jack then transports the vehicle by means of a coordinated movement to a predetermined position where it can be stored and / or where intensive vehicle maintenance can be provided.

[0031] Such maintenance may include, for example, charging the battery of the motor vehicle; washing the vehicle; identifying damage on the exterior of the vehicle, for example using a camera-based image recognition system; and / or sending the motor vehicle to a maintenance area of ​​a repair shop or placing it in intermediate storage before and after providing the aforementioned maintenance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] An embodiment of the mobile jack according to the present invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] in:

[0034] Figure 1 A schematic top view of a utilization area with a motor vehicle and four mobile jacks is shown;

[0035] Figure 2 A schematic top view of a mobile jack according to the present invention is shown;

[0036] Figure 3 A schematic side view of a mobile jack according to the present invention is shown;

[0037] Figure 4 Shows a schematic rear view of the mobile jack according to the present invention;

[0038] Figure 5 A drive device for driving the mobile jack according to the invention is shown in a schematic diagram. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] Figure 1 A schematic top view of a use area 2 is shown, which has a motor vehicle 4 with four wheels 6 and four mobile jacks 10 arranged next to the four wheels 6 of the motor vehicle 4. The use area 2 can be, for example, a repair shop area, a work area or a storage area for the motor vehicle 5. The use area 2 can also be a larger area, which can in particular include a plurality of repair shop areas, work areas and / or storage areas.

[0040] The mobile jacks 10 are technical devices which are designed to respectively grasp and lift one wheel 4 of the motor vehicle 4. With four mobile jacks 10, the motor vehicle 4 can be completely lifted off the ground 3 of the use area 2 and then moved freely in the use area 2.

[0041] In the area of ​​use, position sensors 52 , for example optical position sensors 52 , can additionally be provided which are able to detect the current position of the travel jack 10 and communicate this to the control device 40 .

[0042] As an alternative or in addition, the current position of the mobile jack 10 can be determined by means of a GPS sensor and / or an optical sensor, such as a camera, installed in the mobile jack 10 .

[0043] Figure 2 A schematic top view of a travel jack 10 designed according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 3 A schematic side view is shown, and Figure 4 Shown in Figure 2 Schematic rear view of the mobile jack 10 is shown in FIG.

[0044] The mobile jack 10 has a base 12 which is equipped with a plurality of rolling elements 14 which movably support the base 12 on the ground 3 of the area of ​​use 2 .

[0045] The rolling elements 14 can be balls 14 in particular, which allow the travel jack 10 to be moved on the ground 3 in all directions, that is, in the longitudinal direction L, in the transverse direction Q and in any diagonal direction D. The rolling elements 14 designed as balls 14 also allow the travel jack 10 to be rotated in place.

[0046] The travel jack 10 can be formed with a receptacle or coupling 16 which allows the travel jack 10 to be coupled, for example, to a lifting platform (not shown) in order to lift the travel jack 10 and the motor vehicle 4 arranged on the travel jack 10 .

[0047] The travel jack 10 can also be equipped with at least one width compensation element 18, which allows the width B of the travel jack 10 to be varied. In this way, the travel jack 10 can be adapted to wheels 6 of different sizes of the motor vehicle 4. The width compensation element 18 can be designed to be telescopic, for example.

[0048] The mobile jack 10 has a lifting element 20 which is arranged on or at the base 12 and is provided for receiving a wheel 6 of a motor vehicle 4 .

[0049] Rollers 22 are located on the lifting element 20 , which rollers enable the wheel 6 arranged on the lifting element 20 to rotate about its axis.

[0050] The mobile jack 10 also has at least one lifting device 24 which allows the height of the lifting element 20 to be varied relative to the base 12 in order to selectively lift and lower the wheel 6 arranged on the lifting element 20 and thus also the motor vehicle 4 on which the wheel 6 is mounted.

[0051] In the exemplary embodiment shown, the lifting device 24 comprises a plurality of lifting cylinders 26 which can be hydraulically moved in and out in order to change the height of the lifting element 20 relative to the base 12 .

[0052] Instead of the lifting cylinder 26 , other means for driving the lifting element 20 , such as a rack drive and a worm gear drive, can also be provided.

[0053] One or more wheel sensors 28 can be arranged on the lifting element 20 , which allow the state of the wheels 6 arranged on the lifting element to be checked.

[0054] The wheel sensor 28 can include, for example, an optical wheel sensor 28 (camera) which allows an optical damage inspection of the wheel 6 and / or the identification of the tread depth or the wear distribution of the tire of the wheel 6. The optical wheel sensor 28 can be designed to detect light in the visible range, infrared light and / or UV light. The wheel sensor 28 can also include one or more lighting devices 29 which are designed to illuminate the region of the wheel 6 detected by the optical wheel sensor 28 with light in the visible range, with infrared light and / or with UV light.

[0055] Wheel sensors 28 may also be provided which allow tire pressure monitoring sensors present in wheels 6 to be read out, for example via Bluetooth or NFC communication, in order to determine the air pressure in the tires of wheels 6 .

[0056] A drive device 30 is arranged on the rolling elements 14 , which drive device is designed to drive the respective rolling element 14 in order to move the travel jack 10 on the ground 3 .

[0057] A drive device 30 can be provided on each rolling element 14 .

[0058] In an alternative embodiment, the drive device 30 can be provided only on selected rolling elements 14 in each case, in order to reduce the costs of the travel jack 10 .

[0059] The travel jack 10 also has a control device 32 which is designed to actuate the drive device 30 in order to move the travel jack 10 in a controlled manner on the ground 3 .

[0060] The control device 32 comprises in particular a navigation device 34 which allows the current position of the mobile jack 10 on the ground 3 to be determined.

[0061] The navigation device 34 can include one or more environmental sensors 36 in order to detect the surroundings of the mobile jack 10 and thus determine the current position of the mobile jack 10 on the ground 3 , for example relative to the motor vehicle 4 .

[0062] The mobile jack 10 also has a communication device 38, which is designed to communicate with a corresponding communication device 38 of at least one other mobile jack 10 and / or with a communication device 39 of an external control device 40. This allows the movement of the mobile jack 10 to be controlled by the external control device 40. This makes it possible in particular to coordinate the activities of a plurality of mobile jacks 10 in the area of ​​use 2.

[0063] The communication devices 38, 39 can be designed in particular for communication, for example by means of WLAN, Infrared or similar technology enables wireless communication, thereby making it possible to dispense with cable connections that could restrict and hinder the movement of the mobile jack 10 .

[0064] Communication devices 38 , 39 can also be designed to transmit data detected by wheel sensors 28 to an external control device 40 or to another external receiving device in order to allow external evaluation, assessment and, if necessary, logging of the measurement results of wheel sensors 28 .

[0065] The mobile jack 10 also has an electrical energy source 42, in particular a rechargeable battery ("accumulator"), in order to supply electrical energy to the lifting device 24, the wheel sensors 28, the drive device 30, the control device 32, the navigation device 34 and the communication device 38. The mobile jack 10 equipped with the electrical energy source 4 can be operated without a cable connection to an external energy source.

[0066] The electrical energy source 42 can be charged, for example, via a detachable cable connection or wirelessly via an inductive charging system.

[0067] Figure 5 An exemplary embodiment for a drive device 30 for driving rolling elements 14 designed as balls 14 is shown in a schematic diagram.

[0068] The driving device 30 includes a first driving mechanism 30a and a second driving mechanism 30b, wherein the first driving mechanism is configured to cause the ball 14 to rotate around the first axis A. 1 The second drive mechanism is configured to rotate the ball 14 around the second axis A. 2 Rotation. Second axis A 2 Transversely, in particular orthogonally, to the first axis A 1 To orient.

[0069] exist Figure 5 In the embodiment shown, the two drive mechanisms 30a, 30b have the same structure. Each of the two drive mechanisms 30a, 30b has an electric drive motor 44a, 44b, which is connected to friction elements 48a, 48b, especially friction discs 48a, 48b, through drive shafts 46a, 46b, so that the friction elements 48a, 48b can be rotated by the operation of the drive motors 44a, 44b.

[0070] The outer circumferential surface of each of the two friction elements 48a, 48b contacts the surface of the ball 14. The outer circumferential surfaces of the two friction elements 48a, 48b and the surface of the ball 14 are configured so that the ball 14 is moved about its axis A around the corresponding friction element 48a, 48b. 1 , A 2 During rotation, the ball 14 rotates due to the friction between the corresponding outer circumferential surface of one of the two friction elements 48 a , 48 b and the surface of the ball 14 .

[0071] The two drive motors 44a, 44b are controlled in a targeted manner so that the two friction elements 48a, 48b rotate at the same speed or at different speeds, thereby causing the balls 14 to rotate about a ball rotation axis that can be arbitrarily oriented in space. In particular, the spatial orientation of the ball rotation axis can be changed by changing the speed of the two friction elements 48a, 48b.

[0072] Rotation sensors 50a, 50b can be provided on the drive shafts 46a, 46b, which allow the detection of a rotation of the respective drive shaft 46a, 46b and of the friction elements 48a, 48b applied thereto, in order to be able to control the two drive motors 44a, 44b accordingly.

[0073] The drive mechanism 30 for driving the spherical rolling element 14 is Figure 5 The embodiments shown in the figure are shown only as examples. Figure 5 Instead of the drive mechanism 30 shown in FIG. 1 , other rolling elements 14 and drive mechanisms 30 are used.

[0074] For example, pivotable wheels and / or rollers which are connected to corresponding drives 30 may be provided as rolling elements 14 .

[0075] The use of the automated mobile jack 10 according to the invention allows the personnel expenditure to be reduced when moving the motor vehicle 4. The automated mobile jack 10 enables an automated process for providing maintenance on the motor vehicle. When using the mobile jack according to the invention, a high degree of flexibility in the spatial mobility of the motor vehicle is achieved, which allows for modified spatial concepts that require less space for providing maintenance on the motor vehicle and allows for a more efficient arrangement of the technical equipment and machines required in the service station.

[0076] As a result, maintenance in motor vehicle service workshops can be simplified and improved.

Claims

1. A mobile jack (10) for receiving a wheel (6) of a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle (4), wherein the mobile jack (10) comprises: A base (12) having rolling elements (14) for movably supporting the base (12) on the ground (8); a lifting element (20) arranged on the base (12), the lifting element being configured to receive a wheel (6); at least one lifting device (24) configured to change the height of the lifting element (22) relative to the base (12); as well as At least one drive device (30) is designed to drive at least one of the rolling elements (14) in order to move the mobile jack (10) on the ground (8).

2. The mobile jack (10) according to claim 1, wherein the rolling elements (14) are balls, and The driving device (30) comprises a first driving mechanism (30a) and a second driving mechanism (30b), wherein the first driving mechanism is configured to cause the ball (14) to move around a first axis (A 1 ) is rotated, and the second drive mechanism is configured to cause the ball (14) to rotate around a second axis (A 2 ) to rotate.

3. The mobile jack (10) according to claim 1, wherein the first and second drive mechanisms (30a, 30b) respectively have friction elements (34a, 34b), in particular friction disks, which are designed to drive the balls (14) by friction.

4. The mobile jack (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lifting element (20) is constructed to rotatably support the wheel (6) of the motor vehicle (4), wherein the lifting element (20) in particular has rollers (22) for supporting the wheel (6) of the motor vehicle (4).

5. The mobile jack (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mobile jack (10) has at least one wheel sensor (28), such as a camera, which is configured to detect the state of a wheel (6) supported on the lifting element (20).

6. Travelling jack (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the travelling jack (10) has at least one width compensating element (81) which allows the width of the travelling jack (10) to be varied.

7. The mobile jack (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mobile jack (10) has a control device (32) which is configured to control the at least one drive device (30) in order to move the mobile jack (10) on the ground (8).

8. The mobile jack (10) according to claim 7, wherein the control device (32) has a navigation device (34) which allows the position of the mobile jack (10) on the ground (8) to be determined.

9. Mobile jack (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, in, The mobile jack (10) has a communication device (38) which is designed to communicate, in particular wirelessly, with other mobile jacks (10) and / or with an external control device.

10. A kit of mobile jacks (10), in particular of four mobile jacks (10), wherein each of the mobile jacks (10) is a mobile jack (10) according to claim 9 and wherein the mobile jacks (10) are designed to communicate with one another.

11. A use area (2) having a ground surface (8) and a communication device (39), which is constructed to communicate with at least one mobile jack (10) according to claim 9; wherein the use area (2) in particular has a position sensor (52) which allows the position of at least one mobile jack (10) to be determined.

12. A method for transporting a motor vehicle (4) using a kit of parts according to claim 10, wherein said method include: The mobile jacks (10) are controlled in such a way that each of the mobile jacks (10) moves toward the wheel (6) of the motor vehicle (4), receives and lifts the wheel (6) of the motor vehicle (4), and the mobile jacks (10) transport the lifted motor vehicle (4) in a coordinated manner to a predetermined destination.

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