JP7338757B1 - Hub coupling device for vehicle test equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to easily connect a hub 4 of a vehicle under test to a dynamometer by a small number of people (for example, one person). A first adapter 11 including an adapter flange 15 and a shaft member 17 is attached to a hub 4 instead of a wheel. The shaft member 17 has an inner race fitting shaft portion 19 having a cylindrical surface. The second adapter 12 holds a ball bearing 25, and an inner race fitting shaft portion 19 is supported on the inner periphery of the inner race 25a. A coupling 13 is attached to the tip of the inner race fitting shaft portion 19, and the coupling 13 and the rotating shaft of the dynamometer are connected via a constant velocity joint. The second adapter 12 has a pair of support shafts along the diameter line, and is supported on the support surface of the pedestal via the legs. [Selection diagram] Figure 4

Description

Application of Patent Law Article 30, Paragraph 2 Automotive Engineering Exposition 2022 (Yokohama Venue) May 25, 2022 Automotive Engineering Exposition 2022 (Nagoya Venue) June 29, 2022

The present invention relates to a hub connecting device for connecting a hub of a vehicle to be tested and a rotating shaft of the test device in a vehicle testing device using a dynamometer.

2. Description of the Related Art A vehicle testing apparatus is known in which dynamometers are individually connected to hubs of axles of a vehicle to be tested in order to perform tests related to power applied to axles from a power train such as an engine of the vehicle. Such a vehicle testing apparatus requires a mechanism for extracting rotational power from the axle while the vehicle body itself is stationary in the test chamber. Therefore, as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, it is common to attach a simulated wheel with a built-in bearing to a hub and transmit power to the dynamometer via this simulated wheel. Basically, the simulated wheel has one end of a central connecting shaft connected to a hub on the vehicle side, and the other end connected to a dynamometer. is rotatably supported. The test is conducted with the tire of the simulated wheel on the ground and supporting the load of the vehicle. Even if the axle rotates, the tires, which are supported via bearings, do not rotate, and power can be transmitted to the dynamometer in a stationary state.

JP 2021-032613 A JP 2011-179911 A

In the above conventional configuration, when testing, the tire is removed from the rim of the original wheel of the vehicle to be tested, the removed tire is attached to the rim portion of the simulated wheel, and after the test, the tire is attached to the original wheel again. , and the time required for test preparation and post-processing is lengthened.

Moreover, since the tire is a heavy object, the total weight of the simulated wheel including the tire becomes very large, and the workload of handling and attaching/detaching the wheel to/from the hub becomes large.

A hub connecting device for vehicle testing equipment according to the present invention includes:
a first adapter attached to a hub of an axle of a vehicle to be tested in place of a wheel and having an inner race fitting shaft portion forming a cylindrical surface concentric with the rotation center of the hub;
The inner race fitting shaft portion holds a bearing that can be axially inserted into the inner peripheral surface of the inner race, and a pair of support shafts are provided radially outwardly projecting along a diameter line of the bearing. an annular second adapter;
a disc-shaped coupling that is attached to the tip surface of the inner race fitting shaft portion, prevents the second adapter from slipping off in the axial direction, and is connected to the rotation shaft of the test device;
a pedestal having a flat support surface on the upper surface capable of supporting the load from the axle;
a pair of legs movably disposed on the support surface and individually pivotably supporting the support shafts of the second adapter;
Prepare.

The first adapter is attached to the hub after removing the wheel together with the tire from the hub of the axle of the vehicle to be tested. An annular second adapter rotatably supports the first adapter via a bearing.

In this state of being combined with the first adapter, the support shaft of the second adapter is supported on the pedestal through the legs. The pair of legs can simply be placed on the support surface of the pedestal. For example, changes in the toe angle and changes in the angle of the hub during steering are absorbed by the legs being movable on the support surface. The second adapter, which rotatably supports the first adapter via bearings, can swing about a pair of support shafts along the diameter of the bearings. is absorbed by the oscillation about .

The rotating shaft of the testing device is connected to the coupling. Therefore, the rotating shaft of the testing device and the first adapter are connected to each other through this coupling so as to rotate substantially together.

In one preferred aspect of the present invention, the lower end of the leg is provided with a free bearing that contacts the support surface. This free bearing allows the leg to move freely on the support surface of the base.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention,
The first adapter is
an adapter flange having a center portion fixed to the hub via bolts and having a flat flange portion on the outer periphery;
a shaft member having an outer peripheral flange portion overlapped with the flange portion of the adapter flange and bolted, and having the inner race fitting shaft portion at a central portion;
including.

By constructing the first adapter by dividing it into two members in this manner, attachment to the hub is facilitated.

In one preferred embodiment,
a deformed portion provided on a part of the outer circumference of the coupling;
a stopper member detachably attached to the second adapter so as to engage with the deformed portion to prevent relative rotation;
It has a stopper mechanism consisting of

For example, in a state in which the first adapter and the second adapter are attached to the test vehicle side (a state in which the second adapter is not supported on the pedestal), the stopper mechanism can restrict the rotation of the second adapter. It becomes easy to attach the legs to the shaft.

According to this invention, the work is completed by combining the first adapter and the second adapter and placing them on the supporting surface of the pedestal via the pair of legs.

Since the hub coupling device does not include a tire, the weight is reduced, and since the first adapter and the second adapter can be sequentially assembled to the vehicle, the operation can be performed by a small number of workers (for example, one person).

Explanatory drawing which showed the structure of the outline of the whole vehicle test apparatus. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the hub coupling device of one embodiment placed on a base; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the hub coupling device with the second adapter assembled to the first adapter; 4 is a cross-sectional view of the hub coupling device of FIG. 3; FIG. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the hub coupling device; The perspective view which shows the state which attached the stopper member.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an entire vehicle testing apparatus using a hub connecting device 1 according to the present invention. This vehicle testing apparatus has a dynamometer 3, which is a testing apparatus, attached to the hub 4 of the axle of the vehicle 2 to be tested in order to perform a test related to the power applied to the axle from the power train such as the engine of the vehicle 2 to be tested. It has a configuration in which the FIG. 1 shows, for example, the dynamometer 3 provided for the hub 4 of the right front wheel of the vehicle 2 to be tested. A dynamometer 3 is arranged. For front-wheel drive vehicles and rear-wheel drive vehicles, dynamometers 3 may be provided only for two driving wheels.

As will be described later, the hub connecting device 1 connected to the hub 4 is supported on a pedestal 5. Therefore, the pedestal 5 bears the load (weight) of each wheel of the test vehicle 2 during the test. there is A rotating shaft 6 of the dynamometer 3 is connected to the hub coupling device 1 via a constant velocity joint 7 that allows bending, and rotates at the same velocity as the hub 4 of the vehicle 2 under test. That is, the hub connecting device 1 connects the hub 4 of each wheel of the vehicle 2 to be tested and the dynamometer 3 .

FIG. 2 shows the hub coupling device 1 supported on a pedestal 5 . 3 also shows the hub coupling device 1 away from the base 5, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view thereof. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing each part in exploded form.

The hub coupling device 1 includes a first adapter 11 attached to a hub 4 of an axle of a vehicle 2 to be tested in place of a wheel, a second annular adapter 12 that rotatably supports the first adapter 11, a first It is roughly composed of a disc-shaped coupling 13 that axially prevents the second adapter 12 axially attached to the adapter 11 from coming off, and a pair of legs 14 that support the second adapter 12 on the base 5. ing.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the first adapter 11 includes an adapter flange 15 having a center hub mounting portion 15a fixed to the hub 4 via bolts 16 and having a flat flange portion 15b on the outer periphery; and a shaft member 17 having a flange portion 17a of the adapter flange 15 which is overlapped with the flange portion 15b of the adapter flange 15 and connected by a plurality of bolts 18, and which has an inner race fitting shaft portion 19 in the central portion thereof.

A central hub mounting portion 15a of the adapter flange 15 is formed to protrude in a cup shape from the position of the outer peripheral flange portion 15b toward the hub 4 side. The hub mounting portion 15a is circular and has a diameter approximately equal to that of the hub 4. As shown in FIG. A stud bolt-type bolt 16 fixed to the hub 4 side passes through a hole 20 of the hub mounting portion 15a, and a cap-like nut 21 is screwed to fix the adapter flange 15 to the hub 4. As shown in FIG. The plurality of bag-like nuts 21 are housed in a central space created by the hub attachment portion 15a protruding toward the hub 4 in a cup shape from the flange portion 15b.

An inner race fitting shaft portion 19 of the shaft member 17 is formed in a cylindrical shape protruding from a flange portion 17 a on the outer periphery toward the side opposite to the hub 4 . The outer peripheral surface of the inner race fitting shaft portion 19 forms a cylindrical surface concentric with the center of rotation of the hub 4 . A screw hole 22 into which a plurality of bolts 23 for fixing the coupling 13 are screwed is provided on the tip end surface of the inner race fitting shaft portion 19 .

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the second adapter 12 has an annular shape, and a ball bearing 25 is held on its inner circumference. The ball bearing 25 is of a general construction comprising an inner race 25a, an outer race 25b and balls 25c therebetween. The outer race 25 b of the ball bearing 25 is fitted to the inner peripheral surface of the second adapter 12 , and the annular retainer plate 26 is fixed to the end surface of the second adapter 12 via screws 27 . It is attached to the adapter 12 . As shown in FIG. 4, the outer race 25b is sandwiched and fixed between the stepped portion 12a of the second adapter 12 and the retainer plate 26. As shown in FIG.

The outer diameter (that is, the diameter of the cylindrical surface) of the inner race fitting shaft portion 19 is set substantially equal to the inner diameter of the inner race 25a, so that they can be fitted together. When the inner race fitting shaft portion 19 is axially inserted into the inner race 25a of the ball bearing 25, as shown in FIG. . By attaching the coupling 13 to the tip surface of the inner race fitting shaft portion 19 via the bolt 23 , the inner race 25 a is tightened in the axial direction and fixed to the shaft member 17 . That is, by attaching the coupling 13 to the tip of the inner race fitting shaft portion 19, the inner race fitting shaft portion 19 axially inserted into the inner race 25a is prevented from coming off from the inner race 25a.

One end of the constant velocity joint 7 for connecting with the rotary shaft 6 of the dynamometer 3 is fixed to the end face of the coupling 13 (left end face in FIG. 4). In the illustrated example, the coupling 13 has an annular shape for weight reduction.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 3 , the second adapter 12 includes a pair of support shafts 28 projecting radially outward along the diametrical line of the ball bearing 25 . These support shafts 28 are rotatably supported by the legs 14 via bearings 29, respectively, as shown in FIG. In other words, the leg portion 14 is attached to the support shaft 28 via the bearing 29 .

Each of the legs 14 has a shape like an isosceles triangle with a bearing 29 at the top, and is fixed in an upright manner on a substantially rectangular parallelepiped seat 30 . The seat portion 30 is movably arranged on the support surface 5a of the base 5, as shown in FIG. The seat portion 30 has a free bearing 31 at its bottom which contacts the support surface 5 a of the base 5 . The pedestal 5 is configured to have sufficient strength and rigidity to support the vertical load (i.e., vehicle weight) acting from the hub 4, and the support surface 5a, which is the upper surface of the pedestal 5, is basically along the horizontal plane.

Next, an operation for mounting the hub coupling device 1 configured as described above will be described. The vehicle 2 to be tested, which is carried into the test room with tires, is lifted to an appropriate height as shown in FIG. 1 by a lift (not shown). After removing the tire and wheel (both not shown) from the hub 4 in this lifted state, the adapter flange 15 of the first adapter 11 is fitted into the bolt 16 of the hub 4, and the bag-shaped nut 21 is tightened to secure the hub. Set to 4.

In the illustrated example, the first adapter 11 is divided into two members, the adapter flange 15 and the shaft member 17, so that the diameter of the inner race fitting shaft portion 19 of the shaft member 17 does not increase. If the bag-like nut 21 can be fastened through the inner circumference of the cylindrical inner race fitting shaft portion 19, the entire first adapter 11 can be configured as one member.

On the other hand, the second adapter 12 , the ball bearing 25 , the shaft member 17 and the coupling 13 are assembled integrally before being attached to the test vehicle 2 . That is, the ball bearing 25 is arranged on the inner circumference of the second adapter 12 and the retainer plate 26 is screwed. Then, after the shaft member 17 is assembled in the axial direction while fitting the inner race fitting shaft portion 19 of the shaft member 17 to the inner circumference of the inner race 25a of the ball bearing 25 of the second adapter 12, the inner race 25a is A coupling 13 is attached by a bolt 23 to the end surface of the inner race fitting shaft portion 19 exposed on the circumference. By attaching the coupling 13, the second adapter 12, the ball bearing 25, the shaft member 17 and the coupling 13 are integrated.

Next, the structure on the side of the second adapter 12 integrated in this way is attached to the adapter flange 15 attached to the hub 4 of the vehicle 2 to be tested. That is, the adapter flange 15 is combined with the shaft member 17, and the flange portions 15b and 17a are overlapped with each other and fixed together with the bolts 18. As shown in FIG. As a result, the first adapter 11 and the second adapter 12 are attached to the hub 4 of the test vehicle 2 lifted by a lift (not shown).

Next, the legs 14 are attached to the pair of support shafts 28 of the second adapter 12 , and the vehicle under test 2 is lowered by operating a lift (not shown). Lower it onto the support surface 5a. In this lowered state, the load of the first adapter 11 fixed to the hub 4 is supported by the pedestal 5 via the second adapter 12 . Finally, the rotary shaft 6 of the dynamometer 3 and the coupling 13 are connected via a constant velocity joint 7 .

The first adapter 11 is rotatably supported by ball bearings 25 held by the second adapter 12 . Therefore, the hub 4 and the rotating shaft 6 of the dynamometer 3 rotate at a constant speed. Since the second adapter 12 is capable of swinging around the pair of horizontally extending support shafts 28, it is possible to absorb, for example, the magnitude of the camber angle of each wheel by this swinging motion. In addition, since each of the legs 14 supporting the pair of support shafts 28 can move on the support surface 5a via the free bearings 31, the toe angle, for example, can be adjusted within the allowable range of the constant velocity joint 7. Some steering is allowed. Therefore, power-related tests can be conducted under conditions close to actual driving.

In the hub connecting device 1 of the above embodiment, after attaching the adapter flange 15 to the hub 4, the second adapter 12 including the ball bearing 25 and the shaft member 17 can be assembled to the adapter flange 15, and the individual members can be compared. Since it is relatively small and lightweight, it is possible to perform the connection work with a small number of workers, for example, one worker. In addition, the tires and wheels, which are heavy objects, can be removed after the vehicle 2 to be tested is placed on the lift, and unlike the simulated wheels in the prior art, the hub connecting device 1 does not include tires, so attachment and detachment to and from the hub 4 is easy. be.

Next, the stopper mechanism provided in the hub coupling device 1 of the above embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 3. FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the annular coupling 13 has deformed portions 41 formed of planes parallel to the tangential line of the outer peripheral surface at, for example, four locations on the outer peripheral surface. That is, a part of the outer peripheral surface is cut off in the tangential direction. In addition, a stopper mounting surface 42 formed of a plane parallel to the tangential direction of the outer peripheral surface is provided on a part of the outer peripheral surface of the second adapter 12 . In one embodiment, the stopper mounting surface 42 is formed symmetrically at two positions separated by 90° from the pair of support shafts 28, and each has a screw hole 43 for mounting the stopper.

FIG. 6 shows a state where the stopper member 44 is attached to the stopper attachment surface 42. As shown in FIG. The stopper member 44 is configured to have a substantially L shape with a base portion 44 a and a projecting portion 44 b , and the base portion 44 a is fixed to the stopper mounting surface 42 with a pair of screws 45 . The flat surface at the tip of the protruding portion 44b is engaged (in other words, surface contact) with the deformed portion 41 of the coupling 13, whereby the coupling 13 and the first adapter 11 integrated therewith (adapter flange 15, shaft The member 17 ) becomes unable to rotate with respect to the second adapter 12 .

Therefore, when the first adapter 11, the second adapter 12 and the coupling 13 are attached to the hub 4 while the vehicle 2 under test is lifted by the lift, the first adapter 11 and the second adapter 12 are separated by the stopper mechanism. relative rotation with is prevented. This facilitates the work of attaching the leg portion 14 to the support shaft 28 of the second adapter 12 and arranging the leg portion 14 on the support surface 5 a of the pedestal 5 .

The entire stopper member 44 including the base portion 44a may be attached to and detached from the second adapter 12, or the base portion 44a and the projecting portion 44b may be separate members, and only the projecting portion 44b may be attached to and detached from the base portion 44a. You may do so. In the example of FIG. 6, the projecting portion 44b can be relatively easily removed from the base portion 44a by a mounting screw 46 that can be tightened with fingers.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible. For example, the specific shape of each member is not limited to the illustrated embodiment. Also, the mounting procedure is not limited to the above example, and can be changed appropriately.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Hub coupling device 2... Vehicle to be tested 3... Dynamometer 4... Hub 5... Pedestal 11... First adapter 12... Second adapter 13... Coupling 14... Leg part 15... Adapter flange 17... Shaft member 19... Inner race Fitting shaft portion 25 Ball bearing 28 Support shaft 31 Free bearing 41 Deformed portion 44 Stopper member

Claims (4)

a first adapter attached to a hub of an axle of a vehicle to be tested in place of a wheel and having an inner race fitting shaft portion forming a cylindrical surface concentric with the rotation center of the hub;
The inner race fitting shaft portion holds a bearing that can be axially inserted into the inner peripheral surface of the inner race, and a pair of support shafts are provided radially outwardly projecting along a diameter line of the bearing. an annular second adapter;
a disc-shaped coupling that is attached to the tip surface of the inner race fitting shaft portion, prevents the second adapter from slipping off in the axial direction, and is connected to the rotation shaft of the test device;
a pedestal having a flat support surface on the upper surface capable of supporting the load from the axle;
a pair of legs movably disposed on the support surface and individually pivotably supporting the support shafts of the second adapter;
A hub coupling device for a vehicle test rig, comprising: a free bearing in contact with the support surface at the lower end of the leg;
2. The hub coupling device for vehicle test equipment according to claim 1. The first adapter is
an adapter flange having a center portion fixed to the hub via bolts and having a flat flange portion on the outer periphery;
a shaft member having an outer peripheral flange portion overlapped with the flange portion of the adapter flange and bolted, and having the inner race fitting shaft portion at a central portion;
A hub connection system for vehicle test equipment according to claim 1, comprising: a deformed portion provided on a part of the outer circumference of the coupling;
a stopper member detachably attached to the second adapter so as to engage with the deformed portion to prevent relative rotation;
It has a stopper mechanism consisting of
2. The hub coupling device for vehicle test equipment according to claim 1.

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