Base plate of a mounting or measuring device

Abstract

Base plate of a device for holding a body component to be measured or for measuring such a component, wherein the base plate is movable for arranging the holding or measuring devices in a reference position, wherein the base plate is movable on a floor and rests on the floor in the reference position, wherein the base plate has individually driven Mecanum wheels (7) which can be extended from the base plate towards the floor when the base plate is raised, wherein the base plate is designed in a box-like form with a ceiling wall (1) and a floor wall (2), wherein the ceiling wall (1) has fixing holes (3) for mounting furnishing components in a grid system, where the movement of the base plate can be wirelessly remotely controlled or a travel path is defined by path markers and / or programming.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a base plate of a device for holding a body component to be measured or for measuring such a component. Such a base plate is known, for example, from US 2012 / 0179337 A1.

[0002] When measuring body components during the development and production of vehicles, the problem is to hold these components in a reference position without deformation relative to a measuring device and, if necessary, to transfer the held body component into such a position beforehand.

[0003] The present invention is based on the objective of facilitating the transfer of held body components into a position suitable for measurement in a measuring device.

[0004] This problem is solved by a base plate of the type mentioned above, which, according to the invention, is movable to arrange the mounting or measuring device in a reference position.

[0005] In the invention, the base plate is movable on a floor via wheels and sits on the floor in the reference position, optionally via foot parts projecting from the base plate towards the floor.

[0006] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the base plate is movable on four wheels which are arranged according to the corners of a rectangle.

[0007] According to the invention, the wheels are so-called individually driven Mecanum wheels. The Mecanum wheels can have a wheel rim made of rollers that are freely rotatable about an axis inclined at 45° to the wheel axle. With individual drive of the wheels with different directions of rotation and speeds, the base plate can thus be moved and rotated in any direction on the ground.

[0008] In this invention, the wheels can be extended from the base plate towards the floor by lifting the base plate. In the reference position, the wheels are retracted, and the base plate rests stably on the floor. While the Mecanum wheels inherently provide sufficiently accurate positioning and stability of the base plate, at least for optical measurements, the base plate, when placed on the floor, could engage in centering recesses.

[0009] Preferably, the wheels can be extended from the base plate by means of electromechanical motion devices.

[0010] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the wheels are connected in pairs to a tubular axle that accommodates at least one wheel drive.

[0011] To extend the wheels, the pipe axle can be moved completely by the electromechanical movement device perpendicular to the wheel axle and, if necessary, perpendicular to the plate plane.

[0012] According to the invention, the base plate is designed in a box-like form with a top wall and a bottom wall, the top wall having mounting holes for attaching parts of the mounting or measuring device, according to the invention mounting holes in a grid arrangement. The bottom wall expediently has recesses through which spaces for installations are accessible.

[0013] In a further embodiment of the invention, the base plate is provided with at least one recess for receiving a scanner that captures the area surrounding the plate, with recesses preferably being arranged at diagonally opposite corners of the plate. The scanners in these recesses can each capture a 270° area and thus scan the entire area surrounding the base plate for obstacles.

[0014] The movement of the base plate can be remotely controlled wirelessly by hand or automatically by specifying path markers or by appropriate programming, which is preferably based on signals from a transmitter system installed in the relevant factory hall, which generates signals similar to GPS signals.

[0015] For the detection of waymarkers, the base plate preferably has appropriate devices, in particular a barcode reader.

[0016] The invention is further explained below with reference to an exemplary embodiment and the accompanying drawings relating to this embodiment. The drawings show: Fig. 1 a base plate according to the invention in a perspective view obliquely from above, Fig. 2 the base plate of Fig. 1 in a top view from below, and Fig. 3 the base plate of Fig. 1 in a perspective view from below at an angle.

[0017] A base plate for receiving parts of a holder for a body component to be measured is box-shaped and has a ceiling wall 1 and a bottom wall 2 connected to the ceiling wall 1 via side walls.

[0018] The ceiling wall 1 is provided with mounting holes 3 arranged in a grid pattern for the installation of (not shown) support components. Recesses 4, 5 and 6 are formed in the floor wall 2, through which spaces for built-in components are accessible between the ceiling wall 1 and the floor wall 2.

[0019] The assemblies housed in the installation spaces accessible through recesses 4 and 5 each comprise a pair of wheels 7 connected to a tubular axle 8 coaxial with the wheels 7. Separately controllable drive motors (not shown) for each of the wheels 7 are located in the tubular axle 8.

[0020] The wheels 7 are so-called Mecanum wheels with a ring of rollers 9, each of which is freely rotatable about an axis inclined at 45° to the axis of rotation of the wheels 7.

[0021] The assemblies each further include electromechanical motion devices 10, by which the tube axes 8 with the Mecanum wheels 7 can be moved perpendicular to the tube axis 8 and perpendicular to the plane of the base plate into a position in which the Mecanum wheels 7 protrude from the recesses 4, 5.

[0022] In the installation space accessible through the recess 6, in the illustrated embodiment there are two accumulators 11 and 12 and a control electronics assembly 13.

[0023] The control electronics assembly 13 includes, in particular, devices for controlling the drive motors (not shown) assigned to the four Mecanum wheels 7. By allowing the speed and direction of rotation of the wheels 7 to be adjusted differently according to the Mecanum wheel principle, the base plate can be moved and rotated in any direction without any steering of the wheels 7.

[0024] As the figures show, the base plate has a bulge 14 or 15 at each diagonally opposite corner. Within each of these bulges 14 and 15, between the top wall 1 and the bottom wall 2, a scanner connected to the control electronics assembly 13 is housed. This scanner scans a 270° area at approximately half the height of the base plate through a slot in the respective side wall of the base plate. The control electronics assembly 13 also receives signals from an optical scanning device 16, which detects barcode markings on the floor.

[0025] Furthermore, a receiving unit of the control electronics assembly 13 can wirelessly receive control signals that are manually entered into a remote control device.

[0026] When using the base plate, 3 mounting parts are installed on its ceiling wall 1 according to a body component to be measured, possibly even a complete body, using mounting holes and screws, and the body component is connected to the mounting parts.

[0027] In order to transport the arrangement thus formed for measuring the body component from the assembly location to a measuring location at a measuring device, in particular an optical measuring device, the four wheels 7 are partially pushed out of the recesses 5 in pairs with the aid of the respective movement device 10 by raising the base plate.

[0028] The now movable arrangement is moved to the measuring point either manually via remote control or automatically by detecting the aforementioned barcode markings that define a travel path. The Mecanum wheels allow for movements and rotations corresponding to this path. Thus, the arrangement can be positioned at the measuring point with sufficient accuracy for optical measurements, at least, using only the Mecanum wheels. In the measuring position, the wheels 7 retract, and the base plate rests stably on the floor, possibly supported by slightly protruding feet.

[0029] If the scanners located in corners 14, 15 detect an obstacle during transport, the control electronics assembly 13 ensures that the arrangement comes to a standstill and collisions are avoided.

[0030] Instead of automatically controlling the transport journey based on the aforementioned barcode markings, the journey could be programmed based on the detection of signals generated in the relevant factory hall, similar to GPS signals.

[0031] In contrast to the previously described embodiment, for large plate dimensions, additional wheels extendable through the recess 6 and corresponding drive mechanisms for the wheels could be provided. These additional wheels, which do not require a drive, would serve a supporting function.

Claims

[1] Base plate of a device for holding a body component to be measured or for measuring such a component, wherein the base plate is movable for arranging the holding or measuring devices in a reference position, wherein the base plate is movable on a floor and rests on the floor in the reference position, wherein the base plate has individually driven Mecanum wheels (7) which can be extended from the base plate towards the floor when the base plate is raised, wherein the base plate is designed in a box-like form with a ceiling wall (1) and a floor wall (2), wherein the ceiling wall (1) has fixing holes (3) for mounting furnishing components in a grid system, where the movement of the base plate can be wirelessly remotely controlled or a travel path is defined by path markers and / or programming. [2] Base plate according to claim 1 characterized by , that the wheels (7) comprise four wheels (7) arranged according to the corners of a rectangle. [3] Base plate according to claim 1 or 2 characterized by , that the wheels (7) can be extended from the base plate by means of electromechanical motion devices (10). [4] Base plate according to one of the preceding claims characterized by , that the wheels (7) are connected in pairs to a tubular axle (8) receiving wheel drives. [5] Base plate according to claim 4 characterized by , that to extend the wheels (7) the tube axis (8) can be moved perpendicular to the wheel axis by the movement device (10). [6] Base plate according to claim 5 characterized by , that the pipe axis (8) is movable perpendicular to the plane of the plate. [7] Base plate according to one of the preceding claims characterized by, that the floor wall (2) has recesses (4 to 6) through which installation spaces for fixtures are accessible. [8] Base plate according to one of the preceding claims characterized by , that the base plate has at least one bulge (14, 15) for receiving a scanner that scans the plate environment. [9] Base plate according to claim 8 characterized by , that the at least one bulge (14, 15) includes bulges (14, 15) at diagonally opposite plate corners. [10] Base plate according to any of the preceding claims characterized by that the base plate has facilities for detecting path markers. [11] Base plate according to claim 10 characterized by that the facilities have a barcode reader (16).

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