Wheel balancing weights, and methods and devices for using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10428900-B2
Application number	US-201515122188-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2015
Priority date	Mar 3, 2014
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

A ballasting weight (20) having a length, width, thickness, first side, second side, top, and bottom, and a cross-sectional profile comprising a notch forming a groove (28) extending longitudinally along the length of the first side of the ballasting weight (20), wherein the groove (28) is operatively adapted so as to facilitate the automatic dispensing and/or applying of the ballasting weight (20), e.g., on the rim flange of a wheel rim adjacent to its flange lip, and a device for so dispensing and/or applying the ballasting weight.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A ballasting weight having a length, width, thickness, first side, second side, top, and bottom, and a cross-sectional profile comprising a notch forming a groove extending uninterrupted longitudinally along the entire length of the first side of said ballasting weight and a curved surface of the first side between the notch and the bottom, with said ballasting weight being backed by an adhesive, wherein said groove facilitates the automatic dispensing and applying of said ballasting weight, and said adhesive is suitable for bonding said ballasting weight to a surface.

2. The ballasting weight according to claim 1 , wherein each groove comprises opposing surfaces, with one of the opposing surfaces being a bottom surface, the other of the opposing surfaces being a side surface, and the opposing surfaces forming an angle therebetween in the range of from about 45 degrees up to and including about 135 degrees.

3. The ballasting weight according to claim 2 , wherein either (a) the side surface of at least one groove is a retaining surface against which a device can apply a gripping force to retain said ballasting weight within the device, (b) the bottom surface of the at least one groove is a pressurizing surface against which a device can transmit a force to press said ballasting weight against a surface, or (c) both (a) and (b).

4. The ballasting weight according to claim 2 , further comprising a flat surface on at least one of said top, second side, groove bottom surface, and groove side surface.

5. The ballasting weight according to claim 1 , wherein said ballasting weight is longer than it is wide and wider than it is thick, with either (a) a width to thickness ratio (W/T) in the range from at least about 1.0, and in increments of 0.1, up to less than about 2.3, such that said ballasting weight can be readily bent widthwise, (b) said bottom having a surface that curves between said first side and said second side and is operatively adapted for being bonded to a substrate surface, or (c) both (a) and (b).

6. The ballasting weight according to claim 1 , wherein the ballasting weight comprises one or multiple individual weights, and said ballasting weight is a wheel balancing weight.

7. The ballasting weight according to claim 1 , wherein each ballasting weight comprises one individual weight backed by said adhesive.

8. A length of ballasting weight material that is separable into a plurality of weights according to claim 1 .

9. The length of ballasting material according to claim 8 , wherein said adhesive is an adhesive tape, and further comprising either a continuous length of ballasting material backed by said adhesive tape or multiple individual weights backed and connected together by said adhesive tape.

10. A wheel comprising a tire mounted on a wheel rim and a ballasting weight according to claim 1 , said ballasting weight being a wheel balancing weight, and said wheel rim comprising a rim flange having a flange lip with a peripheral edge, with said wheel balancing weight being attached to the rim flange of the wheel rim and adjacent to said flange lip.

11. The wheel according to claim 10 , wherein the bottom of said wheel balancing weight is adhered to the rim flange of the wheel rim, with said adhesive, such that (a) the first side of said wheel balancing weight is located a distance from said flange lip in the range of from zero up to and including about twice the thickness of said adhesive, or (b) there is a gap between the first side of said wheel balancing weight and said flange lip, with said adhesive filling in the range of from none up to and including about 25% of the volume of said gap, or (c) none of said adhesive is located between the first side of said wheel balancing weight and said flange lip, or (a) and (c), or (b) and (c).

12. A device comprising structure operatively adapted for retaining a ballasting weight according to claim 1 , such that said device can be positioned to a desired location adjacent to a substrate surface, and said device can manipulate the ballasting weight so as to attach the ballasting weight to the substrate surface.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the ballasting weight is in the form of a wheel balancing weight, said device can be positioned to a desired location adjacent to a wheel rim comprising a rim flange having a flange lip with a peripheral edge, and said device can manipulate the wheel balancing weight so as to attach the wheel balancing weight to the rim flange of the wheel rim and adjacent to the flange lip.

14. The device according to claim 13 , further comprising a first arcuate jaw and a second arcuate jaw operatively adapted for so retaining the wheel balancing weight therebetween, and a mechanism for biasing said first jaw and said second jaw toward each other so as to retain the wheel balancing weight therebetween and for biasing said first jaw and said second jaw away from each other to release the wheel balancing weight, with said first arcuate jaw being operatively adapted for receiving therein at least a portion of the second side, the top and at least a portion of at least one groove of the wheel balancing weight, and said second arcuate jaw being operatively adapted for receiving therein at least a portion of the first side of the wheel balancing weight.

15. The device according to claim 12 , further comprising a first arcuate jaw and a second arcuate jaw operatively adapted for so retaining the ballasting weight therebetween.

16. The device according to claim 15 , wherein said first arcuate jaw is operatively adapted for receiving therein at least a portion of the second side and the top of the ballasting weight, and said second arcuate jaw is operatively adapted for receiving therein at least a portion of the first side of the ballasting weight.

17. The device according to claim 12 , wherein said ballasting weight is bent along its length either (a) widthwise with a curvature having a radius, or (b) in its thickness direction, while said weight is in said device.

18. A method of balancing a wheel comprising a tire mounted on a wheel rim, with the wheel rim comprising a rim flange having a flange lip with a peripheral edge, said method comprising:
bonding at least one ballasting weight according to claim 1 , in the form of at least one wheel balancing weight, to the rim flange of the wheel rim at a location, adjacent to the flange lip of said rim flange, so as to balance the wheel.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein said at least one wheel balancing weight is bonded to the rim flange so that the first side either contacts the flange lip or so that a gap is formed between the first side and the flange lip.

20. The method of claim 18 , said method further comprising:
providing a device comprising structure operatively adapted for releasably retaining the ballasting weight, where the ballasting weight is in the form of a wheel balancing weight;
disposing the wheel balancing weight so as to be releasably retained by the device; and
positioning the device to a desired location, adjacent to the rim flange of the wheel rim, that balances the wheel.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Belknap Benjamin D
• Gabel Mark R
• Biondich James S
• Taylor John Scott

Classifications

• B60B15/28

  Wheel-ballasting weights; Their attachment · CPC title

• F16F15/345

  specially adapted for attachment to a vehicle wheel · CPC title

• F16F15/324 Primary

  the rotating body being a vehicle wheel (F16F15/36 takes precedence; tyre parts or constructions not otherwise provided for B60C19/00) · CPC title