Jaw, wheel-holder unit and tyre changing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12344053-B2
Application number	US-202117482776-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2021
Priority date	Sep 25, 2020
Publication date	Jul 1, 2025
Grant date	Jul 1, 2025

Abstract

A jaw ( 1 ) for clamping a wheel rim comprises a body ( 2 ) extending along a longitudinal orientation (L). The body ( 2 ) includes: a connecting portion ( 22 ) configured to be connected to the head of the wheel-holder unit; a base portion ( 21 ) extending along the longitudinal orientation (L); a first abutment wall ( 23 ) extending from the base portion ( 21 ) along a clamping orientation (R); a second abutment wall ( 24 ) extending from the base portion ( 21 ) along the clamping orientation (R) in a spacing-apart direction (VA) and longitudinally spaced from the first abutment wall ( 23 ) by a working distance (DL); an abutment surface ( 251 ), longitudinally interposed between the first abutment surface ( 23 ) and the second abutment surface ( 24 ) and including a first portion ( 251 A) and a second portion ( 251 B, 251 C), disposed at an advanced position relative to the first portion ( 251 A) in the spacing-apart direction (VA) of the clamping orientation (R) to come into contact with the wheel rim. The second portion is spaced from the first abutment wall ( 23 ) along the longitudinal orientation (L) by a first abutment distance (D 1 ), greater than 30% of the working distance (DL).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A jaw for clamping a wheel rim in a tyre changing apparatus provided with a wheel-holder unit having a head, wherein the jaw extends along a longitudinal direction parallel to a longitudinal axis, between a first end and a second end, and extends along a transverse direction, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and extends along a clamping direction, perpendicular to the transverse direction and to the longitudinal direction, and wherein the jaw includes a top surface, a first lateral surface, a second lateral surface and a bottom surface,
the jaw comprising a body extending along the longitudinal direction, the body including:
a connecting portion, located at the first end of the jaw and configured to be connected to the head of the wheel-holder unit;
a base portion extending along the longitudinal direction and defining the bottom surface of the jaw;
a first abutment wall, extending from the base portion along the transverse direction and along the clamping direction away from the bottom surface of the jaw;
a second abutment wall, extending from the base portion along the transverse direction and along the clamping direction away from the bottom surface of the jaw, the second abutment wall being longitudinally spaced from the first abutment wall by a working distance;
an abutment surface, longitudinally interposed between the first abutment wall and the second abutment wall and connected thereto, the abutment surface defining a portion of the top surface of the jaw located between the first abutment wall and the second abutment wall, wherein the abutment surface comprises a first portion, connected to the first abutment wall and extending along a first plane parallel to the longitudinal direction and parallel to the transverse direction for the entirety of the first portion, and a second portion, connected to the first portion and to the second abutment wall, the second portion extending along a second plane parallel to the transverse direction and inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction so that the second portion is at an increasingly larger distance from the bottom wall, along the longitudinal direction from the first portion to the second abutment wall,

wherein the first portion of the abutment surface has a longitudinal length greater than 30% of the working distance,
a switch element, including an inclined wall extending from a first end to a second end and having a first portion and a second portion, located between the first end and the second end so that the first portion is connected to the first end and the second portion is connected to the second end, the switch being removably connectable to the body, so that
in a first position, the switch element is located in a connecting zone of the body longitudinally interposed between the first abutment wall and the second abutment wall, with the first end proximal to the first abutment wall and the second end proximal to the second abutment wall, the inclined wall being configured to come into contact with the wheel rim, wherein, with the switch located in the connecting zone, the first portion and the second portion of the switch element extends along the longitudinal direction, so that a ratio between the longitudinal length of the first portion and the second portion of the switch element is different than a ratio between the longitudinal length of the first portion and the second portion of the abutment surface, and
in at least a second position, the switch element is removed from the abutment surface of the body and it is on the outside of the connecting zone.

2. The jaw according to claim 1 , wherein the first end of the inclined wall is spaced from the first abutment wall by a second abutment distance which is less than 30% of the working distance.

3. The jaw according to claim 1 , wherein the second end of the inclined wall is at the same height or at a position behind the second end of the second abutment wall in the departing verse of the clamping direction.

4. The jaw according to claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a pin and a connecting hub made in the base portion, and wherein the switch element comprises a mounting hole, the pin being inserted into the connecting hub and into the mounting hole when the switch element is at the first position, so as to connect the switch element to the body of the jaw.

5. The jaw according to claim 1 , wherein the switch element comprises a protrusion, protruding at least partly along the clamping direction and, when the switch element is at the first position, extending along the longitudinal direction, and wherein the abutment surface comprises a corresponding guide groove, extending along the longitudinal direction, and wherein, when the switch element is at the first position, the protrusion is positioned within the guide groove of the abutment surface.

6. The jaw according to claim 1 , comprising a wear element, located on an abutment surface of the first abutment wall and configured to come into contact with a wheel rim.

7. The jaw according to claim 1 , wherein the first abutment wall and the second abutment wall each comprise a respective top surface including a corresponding plurality of studs.

8. The jaw according to claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a socket, located at a position behind the first abutment wall along the longitudinal direction, and wherein the jaw comprises an extension, coupled to the socket and comprising an interface surface including a respective plurality of studs.

9. The jaw according to claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the abutment surface is perpendicular to the first abutment wall.

10. A wheel-holder unit for a tyre changing apparatus, the wheel-holder unit comprising a head, the head being rotatable about an axis of rotation, and a lift actuator, connected to the head to move it along a trajectory having at least a vertical component, parallel to the weight force, wherein the head includes a plurality of jaws which are angularly spaced around the axis of rotation and which are movable towards and away from each other between a position where they are distal from, and a position where they are proximal to, the axis of rotation of the head, wherein each jaw of the plurality of jaws is a jaw for clamping a wheel rim in a tyre changing apparatus provided with a wheel-holder unit having a head, the jaw comprising a body extending along a longitudinal direction parallel to a longitudinal axis between a first end and a second end, and extends along a transverse direction, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and extends along a clamping direction, perpendicular to the transverse direction and to the longitudinal direction, and wherein the jaw includes a top surface, a first lateral surface, a second lateral surface and a bottom surface, the body including:
a connecting portion, located at the first end of the jaw, configured to be connected to the head of the wheel-holder unit;
a base portion extending along the longitudinal direction and defining the bottom surface of the jaw;
a first abutment wall, extending from the base portion along the transverse direction and along the clamping direction;
a second abutment wall, extending from the base portion along the transverse direction and along the clamping direction away from the bottom surface of the jaw, the second abutment surface wall being longitudinally spaced from the first abutment wall by a working distance;
an abutment surface, longitudinally interposed between the first abutment wall and the second abutment wall and connected thereto, the abutment surface defining a portion of the top surface of the jaw located between the first abutment wall and the second abutment

Assignees

• Nexion Spa

Inventors

• Corghi Giulio

Classifications

• B60B30/06

  engaging the wheel body, e.g. the rim · CPC title

• B60C25/138

  with rotary motion of tool or tyre support · CPC title

• B60C25/0545

  with rotary motion of tool or tyre support, e.g. turntables · CPC title

• B60C25/0518

  Horizontal wheel axis in working position · CPC title

• B60C25/0539 Primary

  radially fixing the rim, e.g. with gripping claws · CPC title