Devices and methods for inspecting a wheel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017010186-A1
Application number	US-201415102424-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 12, 2014
Priority date	Dec 13, 2013
Publication date	Jan 12, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention discloses a inspection device for detecting a defect of a metal object, where the inspection device includes a main base, at least one main magnetic module, and a main inspection module. The at least one main magnetic module is installed on the main base, for attaching the main base onto the metal object under an action of a magnetic force. The main inspection module is installed on the main base, to detect at least one type of defect of the metal object. The present invention further discloses a wheel defect inspection method and a wheel defect inspection device. The metal object defect inspection device may implement automatic detection of a defect on a whole circumference of a wheel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An inspection device for inspecting a metal object, the inspection device comprising:
a main base; at least one main magnetic module mounted to the main base for attaching the main base to the metal object under a magnetic force generated between the at least one main magnetic module and the metal object; and a main inspection module mounted to the main base for detecting at least one defect of the metal object.

2 . The inspection device of claim 1 , comprising at least one rolling module mounted on the main base for reducing a friction force between the main base and the metal object when the main base moves relative to the metal object.

3 . The inspection device of claim 1 , wherein the inspection device further comprises a lateral base, the main base and the lateral base are connected to form a substantially L-shaped base.

4 . The inspection device of claim 3 , comprising at least one rotatable member mounted to the lateral base, wherein each rotatable member contacts with a surface of the metal object and is rotatable to allow the lateral base to move relative to the surface.

5 . The inspection device of claim 3 , comprising at least one lateral magnetic module mounted to the lateral base for attaching the lateral base to the metal object under a magnetic force between the at least one lateral magnetic module and the metal object.

6 . The inspection device of claim 5 , wherein each member of the at least one main magnetic module or the at least one lateral magnetic module comprises at least one magnetic element, at least one first fastening element, and at least one second fastening element, wherein:
the at least one magnetic element is fixed with the at least one first fastening element, and each of the at least one main magnetic module or the at least one lateral magnetic module is fixed with a corresponding aperture using the at least one first fastening element and the at least one second fastening element.

7 . The inspection device of claim 6 , wherein the at least one first fastening element and the at least one second fastening element are manually operable to adjust a length of the at least one main or at least one lateral magnetic module protruding out of the aperture to support the metal object having different outer profiles.

8 . The inspection device of claim 3 , wherein the lateral base is further mounted with a lateral inspection module for detecting at least one defect of the metal object.

9 . The inspection device of claim 8 , wherein the main inspection module comprises a main ultrasound probe and the lateral inspection module comprises a lateral ultrasound probe, wherein the main base comprises a main fluid groove and the lateral base comprises a lateral fluid groove, wherein:
a fluid is filled in a first gap between a first surface of the metal object and the main ultrasound probe by injecting fluid into the main fluid groove; and a fluid is filled in a second gap between a second surface of the metal object and the lateral ultrasound probe by injecting fluid into the lateral fluid groove.

10 . The inspection device of claim 9 , wherein a handle bar is fixed with the main base and the lateral base, wherein the handle bar comprises channels in fluid communication with the main fluid groove and the lateral fluid groove, the channels are for providing a path to inject fluid into the main fluid groove and the lateral fluid groove continuously.

11 . The inspection device of claim 1 , comprising two rolling modules which are assembled on two opposite edges of the main base respectively, wherein each rolling module comprises a roller body, a shaft, and two bearings, wherein the roller body is fixed with the shaft and the two bearings are received in two bearing apertures respectively for supporting the shaft.

12 . The inspection device of claim 11 , comprising an encoder attached to one of the two rolling modules, wherein the encoder is configured to generate a number of pulses that the metal object moves from an initial position to a defect position, to allow the defect position to be determined based at least in part on the number of pulses and a perimeter of the roller body.

13 . An inspection method for inspecting a wheel, the inspection method comprising:
attaching a main base of an inspection device to a wheel tread via at least one main magnetic module; attaching a lateral base of the inspection device to a wheel lateral via at least one lateral magnetic module; and inspecting at least one defect of the wheel via a main inspection module and a lateral inspection module of the inspection device.

14 . The inspection method of claim 13 , comprising:
moving the inspection device from a first position where the inspection device is higher than a lowest point of the wheel to a second position where the inspection device is below the lowest point of the wheel by rotating at least one rolling module along a surface of the wheel tread; and keeping the inspection device at the second position where a magnetic force generated between the inspection device and the wheel is sufficient to overcome the weight force of the inspection device.

15 . The inspection method of claim 13 , comprising injecting fluid through a channel into a gap between a main ultrasound probe and a tread surface of the wheel and a gap between a lateral ultrasound probe and a lateral surface of the wheel, wherein a fluid input flow into the channel is larger than an overflow from the gap.

16 . The inspection method of claim 13 , comprising adjusting a distance between a tread of the wheel and at least one main magnetic module by twisting at least a first and at least a second fastening element to allow the inspection device to support the wheel having different tread profiles.

17 . An inspection device, comprising:
a first base; a second base; at least one first magnetic module mounted to the first base for attaching the first base to a first surface of a wheel under a first magnetic force between the at least one first magnetic module and the wheel; a first inspection module mounted to the first base for detecting defects of the wheel; and at least one second magnetic module mounted to the second base for attaching the second base to a second surface of the wheel under a second magnetic force between the at least one second magnetic module and the wheel.

18 . The inspection device of claim 17 , comprising a second inspection module mounted to the second base for detecting defects of the wheel.

19 . The inspection device of claim 17 , comprising at least one rolling module assembled to the first base for reducing a friction force between the first base and the tread of the wheel when the first base moves relative to the tread of the wheel.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Yu Xun
• Li Ran

Classifications

• G01N2291/2696

  Wheels, Gears, Bearings · CPC title

• G01N2291/106

  one or more transducer arrays · CPC title

• G01N29/24

  Probes {(transducers for acoustic waves B06B, G10K; for measuring G01H)} · CPC title

• G01N29/041

  on the surface of the material, e.g. using Lamb, Rayleigh or shear waves · CPC title

• B61K9/12

  Measuring or surveying wheel-rims · CPC title