Method for inflating a tyre

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11845409-B2
Application number	US-201916273184-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2019
Priority date	Feb 13, 2018
Publication date	Dec 19, 2023
Grant date	Dec 19, 2023

Abstract

A method for inflating a tyre mounted on a corresponding wheel rim comprises the following steps in sequence; placing a tool at an operating position, where a first bead of the tyre is interposed between the tool and a second bead of the tyre, and one end of tool is positioned axially between a first flange of the rim and a first rib of the rim and positioned radially between an outside surface of the rim and a tread of the tyre; blowing a gas under pressure through an inflation valve of the tyre into a chamber delimited by the tyre and by the rim, with the tool at the operating position, so that the first sidewall of the tyre is pressed against the end of the tool; removing the tool from the operating position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for inflating a tyre by means of a tyre changing apparatus equipped with a base, a column associated with the base, wheel holder unit, and a tool provided with an actuator, where the tyre is mounted on a corresponding wheel rim, the rim being fixed to a wheel-holder unit of the tyre changing apparatus, where the tyre includes a first bead, a first sidewall, a second bead, a second sidewall and a tread and where the rim includes an outside surface, a first flange and a first rib, where the first flange and the first rib jut out radially from the outside surface and are axially spaced from each other to define a first seat for the first bead, wherein the tool is a bead breaker tool or a bead pressing tool,
the method comprising the following steps, in sequence:
placing, through the actuator, the tool at an operating position, where one end of it is positioned axially between the first flange and the first rib and radially between the outside surface of the rim and the tyre tread, where the first bead is interposed between the tool and the second bead, wherein the tool is movably connected to the column through an arm;
blowing a gas under pressure through an inflation valve into a chamber delimited by the tyre and by the rim, while keeping the tool at the operating position during blowing, so that a portion of the first sidewall of the tyre is pressed against the end of the tool, wherein during the step of blowing, the actuator keeps the tool at the operating position;
removing the tool from the operating position, wherein the actuator includes a liner in which there slides a rod connected to the tool, wherein during the step of blowing, the liner of the actuator is pressurized in order to keep the tool at the operating position.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, when the tool is at the operating position, the tool faces the first sidewall of the tyre.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein, when the tool is at the operating position, the end of the tool is positioned radially between an annular edge of the first rib and the tyre tread.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein, when the tool is at the operating position, the end of the tool is positioned radially between the annular edge of the first rib ( 3 B) and an annular edge of the first flange.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tool comprises an elastic element, wherein when the gas blown in causes the pressure of the chamber to rise above a threshold value, the pressure in the chamber, by pressing the first sidewall of the tyre against the end of the tool compresses the elastic element and thus removes the tool from the operating position.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, when the pressure in the chamber reaches a threshold value, the liner is depressurized and the first sidewall of the tyre is pressed against the tool, causing the tool to be removed from the operating position.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tool has an outside surface made of a material having sound absorption properties.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tool includes at least a portion made of a material having sound absorption properties.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, in the presence of the tool, the first sidewall is pressed against the end of the tool and thus abuts or rests on the end of the tool.

10. An apparatus for mounting and demounting a tyre to and from a corresponding rim of a wheel, wherein the wheel has an axis of rotation and the tyre includes a first bead, a first sidewall, a second bead, a second sidewall and a tread and wherein the rim includes an outside surface, a first flange and a first rib, wherein the first flange and the first rib jut out radially from the outside surface and are axially spaced from each other to define a first seat for the first bead, the apparatus comprising:
a base and a column associated with the base;
a wheel-holder unit for locking the rim in place and setting it in rotation about the axis of rotation of the wheel;
an inflation unit, having an active configuration, where it is configured to blow a gas into a chamber delimited by the tyre and the rim through an inflation valve of the tyre, and an inactive configuration, where gas is prevented from escaping from the inflation unit;
a tool provided with an actuator, wherein the tool is movably connected to the column through an arm and is movable, through the actuator, at least between a rest position, where it is away from the tyre, and an operating position, where the first bead is interposed between the tool and the second bead, one end of the tool being positioned axially between the first flange and the first rib and radially between the outside surface of the rim and the tyre tread, wherein the tool is a bead breaker tool or a bead pressing tool;
wherein the apparatus includes an operating configuration in which the tool is at the operating position, the actuator keeping the tool at the operating position, and the inflation unit is, at the same time, in the active configuration, and
wherein the actuator includes a liner in which there slides a rod connected to the tool, wherein the liner of the actuator is pressurized in order to keep the tool at the operating position, in the active configuration of the inflation unit.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the tool includes an elastic element having a first end connected to the end of the tool and a second end connected to a rod which supports the tool, so as allow the end of the tool to move closer to the rod under a compressive action of the elastic element.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the tool has an outside surface which is made of a material having sound absorption properties.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the actuator is a pneumatic actuator configured to move the tool from the rest position to the operating position, and wherein the actuator includes a liner, in which there slides a rod that supports a the tool, and wherein the inflation unit is selectively connectable to the liner of the actuator to pressurize it at a pressure equal to a pressure inside the chamber.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 , comprising:
a control unit;
a pressure sensor configured to measure the pressure of the chamber and connected to the control unit to send it a pressure signal representing the pressure of the chamber;
a discharge valve connected to the liner of the actuator and able to be switched between an open position, in which the liner of the actuator is open onto an outside atmosphere, and a closed position, in which the liner of the actuator is isolated from the outside atmosphere;
wherein the control unit is programmed to control switching of the discharge valve from the closed to the open position as a function of the pressure signal.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10 , comprising an interface configured to receive as a setting a threshold parameter representing a threshold pressure, wherein the control unit is programmed to control switching of the discharge valve from the closed to the open position as a function of the pressure signal and of the threshold parameter.

16. The apparatus according to claim 10 , comprising a camera configured to capture an image representing a position of the first flange and a position of the first rib, and connected to an actuator to place the tool at the operating position as a function of the position of the first flange and of the position of the first rib.

17. The

Assignees

• Nexion Spa

Inventors

• Corghi Giulio

Classifications

• B60S5/046 Primary

  using electrical or electronical means · CPC title

• B60C25/145 Primary

  for locating provisionally the beads of tubeless tyres against the sealing surfaces of the rims, e.g. air filling bell · CPC title

• B60C25/0515

  Automated devices, e.g. mounting robots · CPC title

• B60C25/0554

  optical, e.g. cameras · CPC title

• B60C25/138

  with rotary motion of tool or tyre support · CPC title