Method and tool to determine a brake disk deterioration state

1. A tool to determine a deterioration state of a brake disk ( 2 ) of a braking system of a vehicle, comprising:

a light emitting head ( 4 ) designed to emit a collimated beam of light (E) towards a face ( 3 ) of the brake disk ( 2 ) so as to trace at least one light line (L) on said face ( 3 );

an electronic acquisition device ( 5 ) configured so as to acquire/capture the image of said traced light line (L);

an electronic control device ( 6 ) configured so as to: process said image acquired/captured by said traced light line (L) so as to locally determine one or more irregular/distorted geometric segments (T) on said line (L);

determine a deterioration state or non-deterioration state of the brake disk ( 2 ) according to the presence or absence, respectively, of said one or more irregular/distorted geometric segments (T);

said tool further comprises:

a user interface system ( 17 ) configured so as to communicate/signal information associated with said determined deterioration state or non-deterioration state automatically to the user;

a tubular casing ( 11 ) which extends along a longitudinal axis (A) and has at an end a resting surface ( 14 ) designed to be abuttingly arranged on the face ( 3 ) of the brake disk ( 2 ); and

magnetic devices ( 15 ) designed to keep said resting surface ( 14 ) abutting on said face ( 3 ).

2. A brake disk diagnostic tool ( 1 ) designed to determine a deterioration state of a brake disk ( 2 ) of a braking system of a vehicle, characterized by comprising:

a light emitting head ( 4 ) configured to emit a collimated light beam (E) towards a face ( 3 ) of said brake disk ( 2 ) in order to trace on said face ( 3 ) at least a light line (L) having a determined geometry;

an image acquisition device ( 5 ) configured to acquire/capture the image of said traced light line (L);

an electronic control device ( 6 ), which is configured to process said image acquired/captured of said traced light line (L) in order to determine said traced line (L), and to determine a deterioration state or non-deterioration state of the brake disk ( 2 ) on the basis of the geometry of the determined traced light line (L), wherein said electronic control device ( 6 ) is configured to compare said traced light line (L) with a reference light line (R) associated with an absence of wear of said brake disk ( 2 ), and determines the deterioration state/non-deterioration state of the brake disk ( 2 ) on the basis of the comparison; and

an hand-held outer casing ( 11 ), which houses said light emitting head ( 4 ) and said image acquisition device ( 5 ).

3. A brake disk diagnostic tool according to claim 2 , wherein said image acquisition device ( 5 ) comprises a sensor device ( 9 ) which is arranged in said casing ( 11 ) in order that its light-sensitive surface is facing the traced light line (L) on said face ( 3 ) of the brake disk ( 2 ).

4. A brake disk diagnostic tool according to claim 2 , wherein said light emitting head ( 4 ) is configured to draw/trace on the face ( 3 ) of the brake disk ( 2 ) a straight light line (L), and said electronic control device ( 6 ) compares the traced light line (L) with a straight reference line (R) so as to identify the irregular/distorted segments (T) on the traced light line (L).

5. A brake disk diagnostic tool according to claim 2 , wherein said electronic control device ( 6 ) is configured to process said image acquired/captured of said traced light line (L) so as to locally determine one or more irregular/distorted geometric segments (T) on said line (L), and determine a deterioration state or non-deterioration state of the brake disk ( 2 ) according to the presence or absence, respectively, of said one or more irregular/distorted geometric segments (T).

6. A brake disk diagnostic tool according to claim 2 , comprises a user interface system ( 17 ), which is arranged in said casing ( 11 ) and is configured to receive a brake disk diagnostic data/signals from said electronic control device ( 6 ) relating to the deterioration state or a non-deterioration state of said brake disk and provide to the user an information indicative of the determined deterioration state/non-deterioration state.

7. A brake disk diagnostic tool according to claim 2 , configured to communicate a brake disk diagnostic data/signals relating to the deterioration state or a non-deterioration state of said brake disk ( 2 ) to one or more additional devices, through a wireless communication devices/systems ( 18 ).

8. A brake disk diagnostic tool according to claim 2 , wherein said casing ( 11 ) has a resting surface ( 14 ) designed to be abuttingly arranged on said face ( 3 ) of said brake disk ( 2 ) and hoses magnetic devices ( 15 ) designed to keep said resting surface ( 14 ) abutting on said face ( 3 ).

9. A brake disk diagnostic tool according to claim 2 , wherein said electronic control device ( 6 ) is placed in said outer casing ( 11 ).

10. Method to determine a deterioration state of a brake disk ( 2 ) of a braking system of a vehicle by a brake disk diagnostic tool ( 1 ) which comprises a light emitting head ( 4 ), an image acquisition device ( 5 ), an electronic control device ( 6 ) and an hand-held outer casing ( 11 ) which houses said light emitting head ( 4 ) and said image acquisition device ( 5 ), said method comprising:

emitting by said light emitting head ( 4 ) a collimated light beam (E) towards a face ( 3 ) of said brake disk ( 2 ) in order to trace on said face ( 3 ) at least a light line (L) having a determined geometry,

acquiring/capturing by said image acquisition device ( 5 ), the image of said traced light, processing by electronic control device ( 6 ) said image acquired/captured of said traced light line (L) in order to determine said traced line (L),

comparing by said electronic control device ( 6 ) the traced light line (L) with a straight reference line (R) so as to identify an irregular/distorted segments (T) on the traced light line (L), and

determining by said electronic control device ( 6 ) a deterioration state or non-deterioration state of the brake disk ( 2 ) on the basis of the geometry of the determined traced light line (L).

11. Method according to claim 10 , wherein said outer casing ( 11 ) has a resting surface ( 14 ) and comprises magnetic device ( 15 ), said method comprising the step of positioning said brake disk diagnostic tool ( 1 ) with its resting surface ( 14 ) abuttingly arranged on the face ( 3 ) of the brake disk ( 2 ) and emitting said light beam (E) towards the face ( 3 ) of the brake disk ( 2 ).

12. Method according to claim 10 , comprising: determining by said electronic control device ( 6 ) a series of information associated with wear of the brake disk ( 2 ) on the basis of the geometric parameters that characterize the determined irregular/distorted segments (T).

13. Method according to claim 10 , comprising:

processing by said electronic control device ( 6 ) said image acquired/captured by said traced light line (L) so as to locally determine one or more irregular/distorted geometric segments (T) on said line (L);

determining by said electronic control device ( 6 ) a deterioration state or non-deterioration state of the brake disk ( 2 ) according to the presence or absence, respectively, of said one or more irregular/distorted geometric segments (T).

14. Method according to claim 10 , wherein said tool ( 11 ) comprises an user interface system ( 17 ), the method comprising:

generating by said user interface system ( 17 ) a vibration perceptible to the touch by the user and/or a visual messages and/or a voice messages indicative of the determined deterioration state/non-deterioration state of said brake disk ( 2 ).