Tyre dismounting apparatus adapted to be installed on a motor vehicle and tyre dismounting method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11059334-B2
Application number	US-201815982430-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2018
Priority date	May 22, 2017
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

A tyre dismounting apparatus adapted to be installed on a motor vehicle comprises: a base configured to be fixed to the motor vehicle; a frame, hinged to the base and tiltable about a tilting axis between a rest position and a working position; a tilting actuator connected to the base and to the frame to move the frame relative to the base; a wheel-holder unit configured to receive a wheel and lock it in place and rotating about an axis of rotation to drive the wheel in rotation about the axis of rotation; a longitudinal actuator connected to the frame and configured to move the wheel-holder unit along a longitudinal axis having at least one component in a vertical direction, parallel to the direction of the weight force; a working unit connected to the frame and including a rod and a tool connected to the rod. The tyre dismounting apparatus comprises a transverse actuator connected to the working unit to move it translationally relative to the wheel-holder unit along a transverse axis parallel to the tilting axis of the frame.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tyre dismounting apparatus adapted to be installed on a motor vehicle, comprising:
a base configured to be fixed to the motor vehicle;
a frame, hinged to the base and tiltable about a tilting axis between a rest position and a working position, wherein the frame comprises an arm extending along a longitudinal axis, wherein, in the working position, the longitudinal axis has at least one component parallel to a weight force, and wherein the arm includes a longitudinal guide elongated along the longitudinal axis;
a tilting actuator connected to the base and to the frame to move the frame relative to the base;
a wheel-holder unit configured to receive a wheel and lock the wheel in place and rotate about an axis of rotation to drive the wheel in rotation about the axis of rotation, wherein the wheel-holder unit comprises a self-centring chuck, rotatable about the axis of rotation and configured to engage the wheel and lock the wheel in place, wherein the wheel-holder unit is coupled to the longitudinal guide;
a longitudinal actuator connected to the frame and configured to move the wheel-holder unit by translation along the longitudinal guide; and
a working unit connected to the frame and including a rod and a tool connected to the rod;
wherein the tyre dismounting apparatus further comprises a transverse actuator connected to the working unit and configured to move the working unit translationally relative to the wheel-holder unit along a transverse axis parallel to the tilting axis of the frame; and
wherein the frame comprises a supporting foot directly connected to the arm and configured to support a weight of the arm wherein, when the frame is in the working position, the supporting foot rests on a ground and supports the arm.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the supporting foot is articulated to the frame to swing about an axis parallel to the tilting axis.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the supporting foot has a fixed end, connected to the frame, and a free end, opposite to the fixed end, and a mass of the supporting foot is distributed in unbalanced manner towards the free end.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the supporting foot is adjustable in length.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the axis of rotation of the wheel-holder unit is parallel to the tilting axis.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the arm lies in a working plane perpendicular to the tilting axis and wherein the longitudinal actuator is mounted on the arm.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises a crossbar extending along the transverse axis, parallel to the tilting axis and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the working unit is movably connected to the crossbar.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the crossbar comprises the transverse actuator to drive the working unit translationally along the transverse axis.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the crossbar includes a transverse guide and a transverse slide slidably coupled to the transverse guide and connected to the transverse actuator and wherein the working unit is mounted on the transverse slide.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the crossbar comprises the transverse actuator, the transverse actuator includes a manual guide mounted on the transverse slide and wherein the working unit is movably connected to the manual guide to be driven transversely along the manual guide and to be rotated relative to the manual guide.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the tool is removably connected to the rod of the working unit and wherein the tyre dismounting apparatus comprises an additional tool, the additional tool being interchangeable with the tool.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a portable roller table, including:
a supporting structure provided with elements configured to rest on the ground; and
a plurality of rolling elements connected to the supporting structure and oriented in such a way that axes of rotation of the plurality of rolling elements are parallel to each other.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the arm is elongated between a first end, connected to the base, and a second end, opposite to the first end, wherein the supporting foot is connected to the second end of the arm.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1 , including a manual guide, elongated parallel to the transverse axis, wherein the working unit is movably connected to the manual guide to be moved transversely along the manual guide by a user, so that the working unit is movable along the transverse axis both by effect of an action of the transverse actuator, and by effect of a manual adjustment performed by the user.

16. A method for dismounting a tyre from a respective wheel rim, comprising the following steps:
preparing a base, fixed to a motor vehicle, and a frame which is tiltable relative to the base about a tilting axis between a rest position and a working position, wherein the frame comprises an arm extending along a longitudinal axis, and wherein the arm includes a longitudinal guide elongated along the longitudinal axis;
tilting the frame about the tilting axis from the rest position, where the frame is positioned inside the motor vehicle, to the working position, where at least part of the frame is positioned outside the motor vehicle, wherein in the working position, the longitudinal axis of the arm has at least one component parallel to a weight force;
receiving and locking a wheel in place by means of a wheel-holder unit connected to the frame, wherein the wheel-holder unit comprises a self-centring chuck, rotatable about an axis of rotation, and configured to engage the wheel and lock the wheel in place;
moving the wheel-holder unit by translation along the longitudinal guide, in order to lift the wheel off a ground; and
moving a working unit, including a rod and a tool connected to the rod, relative to the wheel-holder unit along a transverse axis parallel to the tilting axis by means of a transverse actuator, in order to allow the tool of the working unit to interact with the tyre on the wheel;
wherein the frame comprises a supporting foot directly connected to the arm and configured to support a weight of the arm, wherein when the frame is at the working position, the supporting foot rests on the ground and supports the arm.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the supporting foot, when the frame is at the working position, rests on the ground at a stationary position relative to movements of the wheel-holder unit and of the working unit during such movements.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein, during the movement of the frame from the rest position to the working position, the supporting foot swings about an axis parallel to the tilting axis, under the action of the weight force.

19. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the wheel-holder unit is connected to the arm, the wheel-holder unit having an axis of rotation parallel to the tilting axis, and wherein, during tilting of the frame from the rest position to the working position, the arm rotates while remaining in a plane perpendicular to the tilting axis.

20. A tyre dismounting apparatus adapted to be installed on a motor vehicle, comprising:
a base configured to be fixed to the motor vehicle;
a frame, hinged to the base and tiltable about

Assignees

• Nexion Spa

Inventors

• Corghi Giulio

Classifications

• B60C25/0518 Primary

  Horizontal wheel axis in working position · CPC title

• B60C25/0521

  Handling of rim or tyre, e.g. lifting and positioning devices · CPC title

• B60C25/138

  with rotary motion of tool or tyre support · CPC title

• B60P3/14

  the object being a workshop for servicing, for maintenance, or for carrying workmen during work (lifting devices for movable platforms or cabins for workmen B66F11/04) · CPC title

• B60C25/0581

  Translational tool trajectory only · CPC title