Wheel service machine and method for locking a wheel to a wheel-holder unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10132720-B2
Application number	US-201615053424-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2016
Priority date	Mar 12, 2015
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

Described is a wheel service machine ( 1 ) comprising: a shaft ( 3 ) rotating about a relative longitudinal axis (A), and a contact element ( 4 ), connected to the shaft ( 3 ) for rotating integrally with it and designed to make contact with the rim ( 2 a ) supported by the shaft ( 3 ); a locking device ( 5 ), which can be removably coupled to the shaft ( 3 ) and designed to slide relative to the shaft ( 3 ) along the longitudinal axis (A) and lock the rim ( 2 a ) interposed between the contact element ( 4 ) and the locking device ( 5 ); a fastening element ( 6 ) movably connected to the shaft ( 3 ) for moving parallel to the longitudinal axis (A) and designed for coupling with the locking device ( 5 ), for pulling it in movement; actuator ( 7 ) positioned on the machine and connected to the fastening element ( 6 ), wherein the locking device ( 5 ) comprises an emitter ( 8 ) designed for generating a wireless control signal, received by a wireless signal receiver ( 9 ) connected to the actuator ( 7 ), activates them for moving the locking device ( 5 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle wheel service machine, for performing operations on a wheel having a rim and a tyre, comprising:
a shaft rotating about a longitudinal axis, designed to rotatably support the wheel;
a contact element, connected to the shaft for rotating integrally with it and designed to make contact with the rim supported by the shaft;
a locking device, which can be removably coupled to the shaft and is designed to slide relative to the shaft along the longitudinal axis between an active position, close to the contact element, for locking the rim interposed between the contact element and the locking device, and a position away from the contact element, of non-interference with the rim;
a fastening element movably connected to the shaft for moving along the shaft, parallel to the longitudinal axis, for coupling with the locking device and dragging it in movement;
an actuator positioned on the machine and connected to the fastening element, wherein the locking device comprises an emitter designed to generate a wireless control signal, and wherein the machine comprises a wireless signal receiver designed to actuate the actuator in response to the wireless control signal.

2. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the locking device comprises a grip surface to be gripped by a user, and a triggering element connected to the emitter for controlling the generation of the wireless control signal and designed for being actuated by a hand of the user gripping the locking device.

3. The machine according to claim 2 , wherein the locking device comprises a protective element movable between an activated configuration, wherein it prevents an interaction of the hand of the user gripping the locking device with the actuator element, and a deactivated configuration, wherein it allows an interaction of the hand of the user gripping the locking device with the actuator element.

4. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the wireless control signal is a mechanical wave or an electromagnetic wave.

5. The machine according to claim 1 , comprising a tube for inflating the tyre, where the tube is connected to a compressed air generator through a solenoid valve, and/or a lifting device for lifting the wheel above the ground, wherein the emitter is designed to generate at least one further wireless control signal, and wherein the receiver is designed to actuate the solenoid valve and/or the lifting device in response to the further wireless control signal.

6. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the locking device is tubular and forms a through hole, to allow it to be passed through by the shaft.

7. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the shaft is hollow and wherein the locking device is a clamping rod having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is designed to be inserted in the hollow shaft to connect to the actuator, and the second end can be gripped by a user.

8. The machine according to claim 7 , wherein the emitter is an optical emitter designed for emitting an optical signal, directed along the longitudinal axis, in an empty passage defined inside the shaft.

9. A machine according to claim 1 , wherein said emitter is an acoustic emitter, configured to generate a sound wave defining said wireless control signal.

10. A machine according to claim 1 , wherein said emitter is an electromagnetic emitter, configured to generate an electromagnetic wave defining said wireless control signal.

11. A wheel balancer, for performing operations on a wheel having a rim and a tyre, comprising:
a shaft rotating about a longitudinal axis, designed to rotatably support the wheel;
a contact element, connected to the shaft for rotating integrally with it and designed to make contact with the rim supported by the shaft;
a locking device, which can be removably coupled to the shaft to slide along the longitudinal axis of the shaft between an active position, close to the contact element, for locking the rim interposed between the contact element and the locking device, and a position away from the contact element, of non-interference with the rim;
a fastening element movably connected to the shaft for moving along the shaft, for coupling with the locking device and dragging it in movement;
an actuator positioned on the machine and connected to the fastening element, wherein the locking device comprises an emitter configured to generate a wireless control signal, and wherein the machine comprises a wireless signal receiver designed to drive the actuator in response to the wireless control signal.

12. The wheel balancer according to claim 11 , wherein the wireless control signal is a mechanical wave, or an electromagnetic wave, or an optical signal.

13. The wheel balancer according to claim 11 , wherein the locking device comprises a grip surface to be gripped by a user, and a triggering element connected to the emitter for controlling the generation of the wireless control signal and designed for being actuated by a hand of the user gripping the locking device.

14. A locking device for locking a wheel, equipped with a rim and a tyre, on a rotary shaft of a wheel service machine, wherein the machine has: a contact element, which is integral with the shaft to make contact with the rim;
a fastening element movably connected to the shaft for coupling with the locking device and pulling it in movement;
an actuator positioned on the machine and connected to the fastening element, wherein the locking device is without an actuator, is elongate in a longitudinal direction and comprises: a contact surface, positioned transversally to the longitudinal direction and designed to make contact with the rim interposed between the contact element and the locking device and fix the rim to the shaft;
a coupling and guide surface, cylindrical in shape, designed for coupling with the shaft;
a fastening structure, designed for coupling with the fastening element and allowing a pulling of the locking device along the shaft, an emitter designed to generate a wireless control signal, which can be received by a wireless signal receiver on the machine to actuate the actuator.

15. The device according to claim 14 , comprising a grip surface to be gripped by a user, and an actuator element connected to the emitter for controlling the generation of the wireless control signal and designed for being actuated by a hand of the user gripping the locking device.

16. A method for locking a wheel, having a rim and a tyre, on a shaft of a machine for servicing the wheel, wherein the shaft rotates about a relative longitudinal axis, comprising the following steps:
coupling the rim to the shaft;
coupling to the shaft a locking device, in such a way that the rim is interposed between the locking device and a contact element which is integral with the shaft and designed to make contact with the rim;
activating an actuator means positioned on the machine and connected to a fastening element connected to the shaft, for moving the fastening element longitudinally along the shaft and intercepting the locking device for locking the rim against the contact element, wherein the step of activating the actuator comprises the steps of: generating a wireless control signal using an emitter, connected to the locking device; and
receiving the wireless control signal using a wireless signal receiver designed to activate the actuator in response to the wireless control signal.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the locking device comprises a grip surface to be gripped by a user, and an actuator element co

Assignees

• Corghi Spa
• Nexion Spa

Inventors

• Corghi Giulio

Classifications

• G01M1/045

  the body being a vehicle wheel · CPC title

• B60C25/0548

  equipped with sensing means, e.g. for positioning, measuring or controlling · CPC title

• G01M17/013 Primary

  Wheels · CPC title

• B60C25/0542

  with self-centering means, e.g. cones · CPC title

• B60C25/0536 Primary

  axially fixing the rim, e.g. pulling devices · CPC title