Optical Target Assembly for Vehicle Wheel Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional machine vision vehicle wheel alignment systems face challenges in designing universal wheel adaptors that are costly, complex, and abrasive, requiring precise mounting and clamping force, which can damage wheels, especially aftermarket ones.
Innovation Solution
A machine vision vehicle wheel alignment system with an optical target assembly featuring a non-determined position contact surface, clamping arms that grip tire tread surfaces, and a lightweight, dimensionally stable design that does not require precision construction or substantial clamping force, allowing for adjustable and secure attachment to vehicle wheels without damaging them.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional precision wheel adaptors with centering mechanisms are used to ensure accurate alignment measurements, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex centering mechanism and precision mounting requirements from the wheel adaptor. The optical target assembly is designed to function without precise alignment to the wheel axis, extracting the unnecessary complexity while maintaining measurement capability through the use of multiple imaging sensors that can accommodate positional variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The simplified wheel adaptor design creates a universal mounting solution that can be applied to various wheel sizes and types without requiring precision centering. The adaptor serves multiple functions: mounting the optical target assembly, providing structural support, and enabling alignment measurements across different wheel configurations without complex adjustment mechanisms.
2Reliability
If high clamping forces are applied by traditional wheel adaptors to secure the optical target, then reliability of mounting is improved, but harmful factors increase due to wheel rim damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible band or strap mechanism instead of rigid clamping arms. This flexible element wraps around the wheel rim and secures the optical target assembly through friction and tension distribution, avoiding concentrated high-force contact points that could damage the wheel rim while maintaining reliable mounting.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting mechanism transitions from high-force rigid clamping to lower-force flexible restraint. By changing the mechanical parameters of the mounting system (from rigid arms to flexible bands), the solution achieves reliable mounting through distributed tension rather than concentrated clamping force, preventing wheel rim damage.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple adjustable components are included in the wheel adaptor to accommodate various wheel sizes, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel adaptor incorporates adjustable-length arms or bands that can be modified to accommodate different wheel diameters and widths. This dynamic adjustability allows the same adaptor design to fit various wheel sizes without requiring multiple specialized adaptors, achieving versatility through simple dimensional adjustment rather than complex mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The adaptor is divided into separate adjustable components (such as individual clamp arms or band sections) that can be independently sized or positioned. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for different wheel dimensions while maintaining overall simplicity, avoiding the need for a monolithic complex adjustment system.
Data Source
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AI summary
An optical target assembly (100) to secure an optical target relative to a vehicle wheel assembly (10) consisting of a wheel rim having a circumferential lip and a tire mounted thereon for rotation about an axis, comprises: a base assembly (102) including a contact surface (110) configured for non-determined abutting placement at a plurality of contact points against an outer surface of the vehicle wheel assembly, between the circumferential lip of the wheel rim and an axial center point of the wheel rim; characterized by a target support assembly (108) removably secured to said base assembly axially outboard from said contact surface (110); and at least one attachment mechanism configured (104A, 104B, 106, 300) to maintain each of said contact points of said contact surface in contact with, and immobile relative to, said outer surface of the wheel assembly during a vehicle service procedure; and wherein said target support assembly (108) includes a first target surface (200A) and a separate second target surface (200B), with a plurality of optical target elements (202) disposed on each of said first and second target surfaces, the second target surface (200B) separately disposed axially inward from the first target surface (200A), and is offset from a plane of the first target surface (200A).