Balancing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10006830-B2
Application number	US-201615153539-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2016
Priority date	May 20, 2015
Publication date	Jun 26, 2018
Grant date	Jun 26, 2018

Abstract

A wheel service machine for a wheel having a rim and a tire includes a motor-driven shaft for supporting the wheel in rotation. The machine includes an abutment element integral with the shaft, a locking member for locking the rim against the abutment element, an engagement element movable to drive the locking member towards the abutment element, and a pneumatic actuator having a first and a second chamber rotating with the shaft and connected to the engagement element to move the engagement element automatically. The machine also includes a high-pressure source, a pneumatic circuit to selectively connect the first and second chambers of the actuator to the high-pressure source. The pneumatic circuit includes a rotary manifold having a first and a second duct, and a retaining valve configured to determine a difference in pressure between the second chamber of the pneumatic actuator and the second duct of the rotary manifold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wheel service machine to carry out operations on a wheel having a rim and a tire, the wheel service machine comprising:
a shaft connected to a drive motor unit to rotate about a longitudinal axis and designed to support the wheel in rotation;
an abutment element, connected to the shaft to rotate as one therewith and designed to come into abutment with the rim supported by the shaft;
a locking member, designed to be removably coupled to the shaft and configured to slide relative to the shaft along the axis between a locked position, where it is close to the abutment element in order to lock the rim, interposed between the abutment element and the locking member itself, and an unlocked position, away from the abutment element and not interfering with the rim;
an engagement element movably connected to the shaft to move parallel with the longitudinal axis and configured to be coupled to the locking member so as to drive the latter in motion;
a pneumatic actuator having a first and a second chamber connected to shaft to rotate as one therewith and connected to the engagement element to move it between the locked position and the unlocked position;
a high-pressure source; and
a pneumatic circuit configured to selectively connect the first and second chambers of the pneumatic actuator to the high-pressure source, wherein the pneumatic circuit includes a rotary manifold having a stationary part and a rotating part and defining at least a first and a second duct, each having an inlet in the stationary part and an outlet in the rotating part, wherein the outlets of the first and the second duct are connected to the first and the second chamber of the pneumatic actuator, respectively, and the inlets of the first and the second duct are selectively connectable to the high-pressure source,
wherein the pneumatic circuit comprises at least a first retaining valve, located between the second chamber of the pneumatic actuator and the outlet of the second duct of the rotary manifold and configured to determine, in at least one operating configuration of the pneumatic circuit, a difference in pressure between the second chamber of the pneumatic actuator and the second duct of the rotary manifold.

2. The wheel service machine according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one first retaining valve has an inlet and an outlet and is open when the pressure at the inlet is higher than the pressure at the outlet, and is normally closed when the pressure at the inlet is lower than the pressure at the outlet, and can be forcedly activated to open, wherein the pneumatic circuit comprises an activation duct connected to the at least one first retaining valve to force the latter to be activated.

3. The wheel service machine according to claim 2 , wherein the activation duct of the at least one first retaining valve is connected to the outlet of the first duct of the rotary manifold.

4. The wheel service machine according to claim 1 , wherein the pneumatic circuit comprises a second retaining valve located between the inlet of the first duct of the rotary manifold and a low-pressure environment.

5. The wheel service machine according to claim 4 , wherein the second retaining valve has an inlet and an outlet and is open when the pressure at the inlet is higher than the pressure at the outlet, and is normally closed when the pressure at the inlet is lower than the pressure at the outlet, and can be forcedly activated to open, wherein the pneumatic circuit comprises an activation duct connected to the second retaining valve to force the latter to be activated.

6. The wheel service machine according to claim 5 , wherein the activation duct of the second retaining valve is connected to the inlet of the second duct of the rotary manifold.

7. The wheel service machine according to claim 1 , wherein the pneumatic circuit comprises an electrovalve, which is operatively interposed between the high-pressure source and the inlets of the rotary manifold and which can be driven between the following operating configurations:
a first operating configuration, wherein it places in fluid communication the first duct of the rotary manifold with a low-pressure environment and the second duct of the rotary manifold with the high-pressure source;
a second operating configuration, wherein it places in fluid communication the first duct of the rotary manifold with the high-pressure source and the second duct of the rotary manifold with the low-pressure environment;
a third operating configuration, wherein it places the first and the second duct of the rotary manifold in fluid communication with the low-pressure environment.

8. The wheel service machine according to claim 7 , wherein the pneumatic circuit comprises a relief valve connected to the electrovalve and operatively in fluid communication with the first duct of the rotary manifold, when the electrovalve is in the third operating configuration.

9. The wheel service machine according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one first retaining valve rotates as one with the shaft and has an outlet which is connected to the second chamber of the pneumatic actuator and an inlet which is connected, selectively and alternately:
to the high-pressure source when the electrovalve is in the first operating configuration;
to the low-pressure environment when the electrovalve is in the second and third operating configurations.

10. The wheel service machine according to claim 7 , wherein the pneumatic circuit comprises a second retaining valve, which is stationary relative to the rotary shaft and which has an inlet connected to the low-pressure environment, wherein an outlet of the second retaining valve is, selectively and alternately:
connected to the first duct of the rotary manifold, when the electrovalve is in the first and third operating configurations;
disconnected from the rotary manifold, when the electrovalve is in the second operating configuration.

11. A method for using a wheel service machine to allow operations to be carried out on a wheel having a rim and a tire, comprising the following steps:
coupling the rim to a shaft;
coupling a locking member to the shaft in such a way that the rim is interposed between the locking member and the abutment element which is integral with the shaft and designed to come into abutment with the rim;
locking the wheel to the shaft by moving an engagement element longitudinally along the shaft, thereby engaging the locking member and locking the rim against the abutment element, wherein the movement of the engagement element is determined by a pneumatic actuator integral with the shaft and connected to a rotary manifold having a stationary part and a rotary part and defining at least a first and a second duct, each having an inlet in the stationary part and an outlet in the rotating part, wherein the outlets of the first and the second duct are connected to the first and the second chamber of the pneumatic actuator, respectively, and the inlets of the first and the second duct of the rotary manifold are selectively connectable to a high-pressure source;
setting in rotation the shaft and the wheel locked thereto;
carrying out operations on the wheel; and
stopping the shaft from rotating,
wherein the step of locking the wheel comprises the following steps:
with the shaft stopped, placing the first and the second duct of the rotary manifold in fluid communication with a low-pressure environment and with the high-pressure source, respectively, so as to create a condition of overpressure in the second chamber of the pneumatic actuator relative to the first chamber; and
next, connecting the second duct of the rotary manifold to th

Assignees

• Corghi Spa
• Nexion Spa

Inventors

• Corghi Giulio

Classifications

• G01M1/045 Primary

  the body being a vehicle wheel · CPC title

• G01M17/021

  Tyre supporting devices, e.g. chucks (for balancing G01M1/04) · CPC title

• G01M1/12 Primary

  Static balancing; Determining position of centre of gravity (by determining imbalance G01M1/14) · CPC title