Transfer system for diagnosing vehicle and method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10692308-B2
Application number	US-201715831917-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2017
Priority date	Jan 6, 2017
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

A transfer system for diagnosing a vehicle is provided. The system includes a conveyor that moves the vehicle and a transfer unit that is disposed an input or an output side of the conveyor to move the vehicle into a diagnosing region for vehicle diagnosis. The transfer unit includes a guide rail disposed in both sides of the diagnosing region and a moving body disposed along the guide rail. Swing arms are rotatably connected with a forward and a rear side of the moving body and are concentrated inward to be disposed forward and rearward of a lower portion of a tire. Free rollers are rotatably disposed at each swing arm concentrated inward to clamp the tire. A swing arm driving unit provides a driving force so that the swing arms are concentrated inward or unfolded outward. A moving body moving unit moves the moving body along the guide rail.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transfer system for diagnosing a vehicle, comprising:
a transfer unit disposed at an input side or an output side of a conveyor configured to move the vehicle into a diagnosing region to diagnose performance of the vehicle,
wherein the transfer unit is engaged with a wheel of the vehicle when the vehicle is introduced to an input side of the diagnosing region, is configured to move the vehicle to a preset position of the diagnosing region, is separated from the wheel of the vehicle, and is again engaged with the wheel of the vehicle to move the vehicle to an output side after performance of the vehicle is diagnosed, and
wherein the transfer unit includes:
a moving body movably disposed along a guide rail disposed in a moving direction of the vehicle;
swing arms rotatably connected with a forward side and a rear side of the moving body, respectively, and concentrated inward to be disposed forward and rearward of a lower portion of a front wheel tire or a rear wheel tire of the vehicle;
free rollers rotatably disposed at each side of each swing arm concentrated inward to rotatably clamp the tire, respectively;
a swing arm driving unit configured to provide a driving force to concentrate the swing arms inward or unfold the swing arms outward; and
a moving body moving unit configured to move the moving body along the guide rail forward and rearward, and

wherein when the vehicle is introduced into the diagnosing region, the transfer unit is configured to clamp and move a forward tire of the vehicle forward, and when the vehicle is discharged from the diagnosing region, the transfer unit is configured to clamp the rear wheel of the vehicle to move the vehicle to an outside.

2. The transfer system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of sensors disposed at a preset position to detect the vehicle which is introduced into the diagnosing region or is discharged from the diagnosing region, respectively; and
a controller configured to operate the swing arm driving unit and the moving body moving unit of the transfer unit based on the position of the vehicle detected by the sensors.

3. The transfer system of claim 2 , wherein the diagnosing region includes:
a wheel alignment diagnosing region configured to diagnose alignment of the tire and the wheel of the vehicle; and
a roll & brake diagnosing region disposed rearward of the wheel alignment diagnosing region to diagnose rotation and brake of the tire and the wheel.

4. The transfer system of claim 3 , wherein the conveyor includes:
a first conveyor disposed at an input side of the wheel alignment diagnosing region;
second conveyors disposed at an output side of the wheel alignment diagnosing region and an input side of the roll & brake diagnosing region; and
a third conveyor disposed at an output side of the roll & brake diagnosing region.

5. The transfer system of claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to operate each of the conveyors.

6. The transfer system of claim 5 , wherein in response to determining that the vehicle is introduced into the diagnosing region by the sensor, the controller is configured to stop an operation of the conveyor disposed at the diagnosing region, move the moving body to a position that corresponds to the wheel of the vehicle when the swing arms are unfolded, and concentrate the swing arms so that the free rollers clamp the tire, and the moving body driving unit is configured to move the tire to a diagnosing position.

7. The transfer system of claim 6 , wherein in response to determining that a performance of the vehicle is diagnosed, the controller is configured to operate the moving body driving unit to move the tire to a preset position in an output direction, the swing arm driving unit is configured to unfold the swing arm to separate the swing arms from the tire, and the controller is configured to operate the conveyor disposed at an output side of the diagnosing region to discharge the vehicle from the diagnosing region.

8. A transfer method of diagnosing a vehicle, comprising:
determining, by the controller, whether the vehicle is introduced into an input side of a diagnosing region;
when the vehicle is introduced, moving, by the controller, the vehicle to a diagnosing position by clamping a forward wheel tire of the vehicle using a transfer unit; and
diagnosing, by the controller, a performance of the vehicle, when the diagnosing is terminated, moving the vehicle to an output side of the diagnosing region by clamping the rear wheel tire of the vehicle by the transfer unit,
wherein the transfer unit includes:
a guide rail disposed in a moving direction of the vehicle in both sides of the diagnosing region;
a moving body movably disposed along the guide rail;
swing arms rotatably connected with a forward side and a rear side of the moving body, respectively, and concentrated inward to be disposed forward and rearward of a lower portion of a front wheel tire or a rear wheel tire of the vehicle;
free rollers rotatably disposed at each side of each swing arm concentrated inward to rotatably clamp the tire, respectively;
a swing arm driving unit configured to provide a driving force to concentrate the swing arms inward or unfold the swing arms outward; and
a moving body moving unit configured to move the moving body along the guide rail forward and rearward, and

wherein when the vehicle is introduced into the diagnosing region, the transfer unit is configured to clamp and move a forward tire of the vehicle forward, and when the vehicle is discharged from the diagnosing region, the transfer unit is configured to clamp the rear wheel of the vehicle to move the vehicle to an outside.

9. The transfer method of claim 8 , further comprising:
detecting, by the controller, a position of the vehicle using a sensor.

10. The transfer method of claim 8 , wherein the diagnosing region includes:
a wheel alignment diagnosing region configured to diagnose alignment of the tire and the wheel of the vehicle; and
a roll & brake diagnosing region disposed rearward of the wheel alignment diagnosing region to diagnose rotation and brake of the tire and the wheel.

11. The transfer method of claim 8 , wherein in response to determining that the vehicle is introduced into the diagnosing region, the controller is configured to stop an operation of the conveyor disposed at the diagnosing region, move the moving body to a position that corresponds to the wheel of the vehicle in a state when the swing arms are unfolded, and concentrate the swing arms so that the free rollers clamp the tire, and the moving body driving unit is configured to move the tire to a diagnosing position.

12. The transfer method of claim 8 , wherein in response to determining that a performance of the vehicle is diagnosed, the controller is configured to operate the moving body driving unit to move the tire to a preset position in an output direction, the swing arm driving unit is configured to unfold the swing arm to separate the swing arms from the tire, and the controller is configured to operate the conveyor disposed at an output side of the diagnosing region to discharge the vehicle from the diagnosing region.

13. A transfer unit, comprising:
a moving body movably disposed along a guide rail disposed in a moving direction of a vehicle;
swing arms rotatably connected with a forward side and a rear side of the moving body, respectively, and concentrated inward to be disposed forward and rearward of a lower portion of a front wheel tire or a rear wheel tire of the vehicle;
free rollers rotatably disposed at each side of each swing arm concentrated inward to ro

Assignees

• Kia Motors Corp
• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Cho Joonkwon
• Park Sangkyu

Classifications

• B62D65/18 Primary

  Transportation, conveyor or haulage systems specially adapted for motor vehicle or trailer assembly lines {(conveyors and haulage in general B65G)} · CPC title

• B62D65/005

  Inspection and final control devices · CPC title

• G01M17/007 Primary

  Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles (G01M17/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B66F11/00

  Lifting devices specially adapted for particular uses not otherwise provided for (ground-engaging vehicle fittings for supporting, lifting or manoeuvring the vehicle B60S9/00) · CPC title

• G07C2205/02

  using a vehicle scan tool · CPC title