Pulley Alignment Measurement Using Pivotable Laser Beam
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining the alignment of pulleys in a belt drive are limited by the structure of the pulleys, leading to inaccuracies due to manufacturing-related deviations from a planar or level design, especially when lasers and receivers are placed flush against the pulley surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A method using a laser light-emitting device and a laser light recording device with a pivotable laser beam axis and a measuring field coordinate system, allowing for precise alignment by recording X1 and Y1 coordinates of laser light spots, independent of the pulley surface's planarity, and maintaining a predefined axial distance to determine the orientation of one pulley relative to another.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a laser and receiver are placed flush against the pulley surfaces, then the measurement system can determine alignment, but manufacturing-related deviations from planar surfaces cause high measurement inaccuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary reference surface (such as a reference plate or reference pulley with high-precision planar surface) that mediates between the laser measurement system and the pulley surfaces. This reference surface provides a stable, highly accurate reference plane that is not affected by manufacturing deviations of the actual pulleys, allowing the laser to measure alignment accurately by comparing pulley positions relative to this intermediary reference rather than directly against each other's imperfect surfaces
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from measuring alignment directly on the two-dimensional pulley surfaces to measuring in a third dimension by using laser beams that travel through space between pulleys. By projecting laser beams from one pulley to a receiver on another pulley and measuring the beam's position and angle in three-dimensional space, the system bypasses the need for perfectly planar contact surfaces and can determine alignment accuracy despite manufacturing deviations
2Measurement precision
If a laser is placed against the pulley's running surface or lateral surface, then alignment can be determined, but a certain minimum distance between the laser and receiver and between the two pulleys must be maintained to achieve acceptable measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic adjustment mechanisms that allow the laser and receiver positions to be adaptively optimized based on the actual distance between pulleys. The system can dynamically adjust the laser beam angle, receiver position, or measurement parameters to maintain optimal measurement accuracy regardless of whether the pulley distance is large or small, eliminating the need for a fixed minimum distance requirement
3Adaptability or versatility
If the disk surfaces of the pulleys are not very planar and level, then manufacturing technology-related deviations occur, but known solutions require sufficiently planar surfaces to operate with high measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the reference measurement function from the pulley surfaces themselves and places it on a separate, dedicated reference surface or reference pulley. By taking out the reference plane requirement from the actual pulleys being measured, the system can measure alignment accuracy without requiring the pulleys themselves to have high-precision planar surfaces, thus accommodating various pulley designs while maintaining measurement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual or physical copy of the ideal reference plane using a separate reference pulley or reference surface that has been precisely manufactured. This copied reference surface serves as the measurement基准 (benchmark), allowing the system to achieve high measurement accuracy by comparing actual pulley positions against this perfect copy rather than requiring the actual pulleys to be perfectly planar
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables high-precision alignment of pulleys without being restricted by the design of the belt drive or pulleys, as the method aligns the laser beam at a right angle to the rotational axis, effectively ignoring deviations in pulley surface design, and can be used for various belt drives with large distances between pulleys.
Implementation Method 1
The laser light-emitting device comprises a laser with a beam axis which is able to pivot around a laser pivot axis that is perpendicular to the beam axis of the laser
Implementation Method 2
The laser light recording device comprises a laser light sensor with a planar measuring field whereby the measuring field is a coordinate system having an X1 coordinate axis and a Y1 coordinate axis that is perpendicular to the X1 axis, whereby the laser light sensor is set up so as to record on the measuring field the X1 and Y1 coordinates of a laser light spot of the laser light beam that strikes the measuring field
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method and a measuring system (16) for determining the alignment of a first pulley (10) of a belt drive (12) with respect to a second pulley (14) of the belt drive (12), whereby the measurement system (16) includes a laser light emitting device (18) and a laser light recording device (20), and whereby the method includes Steps A to F.