Tyre changing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020324590-A1
Application number	US-202016844287-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 9, 2020
Priority date	Apr 12, 2019
Publication date	Oct 15, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A tyre changing apparatus ( 1 ) comprises: a frame ( 10 ); a supporting element ( 11 ) for supporting a wheel ( 2 ) rotatably about an axis of rotation (A); an arm ( 12 ) movably connected to the frame ( 10 ) to be moved by an actuator ( 5 B, 5 B′) along a direction of movement (B) parallel to the axis of rotation (A); a bead breaker tool ( 13 ) connected to the arm ( 12 ) to move between an activated position, where it is in contact with the tyre ( 3 ), and a deactivated position, where it is spaced from the tyre ( 3 ); a control unit ( 14 ). The bead breaker tool ( 13 ) includes a mounting element ( 13 A) and a bead breaker disc ( 13 B) which rotates freely relative to the mounting element ( 13 A) and comprises a sensor ( 131 ), configured to generate a contact signal ( 132 ) representing a rotation of the bead breaker disc ( 138 ) relative to the mounting element ( 13 A); the control unit ( 14 ) is connected to the sensor ( 131 ) to receive the contact signal ( 132 ).

First claim

1 . An apparatus for changing a tyre from a corresponding rim of a wheel, comprising:
a frame; a supporting element, rotatable about an axis of rotation and configured to support the wheel rotatably about the axis of rotation; an arm, movable relative to the supporting element to allow the arm and the supporting element to be moved relative to each other by an actuator along a direction of movement parallel to the axis of rotation; a bead breaker tool connected to the arm to move between an activated position, where it is in contact with the tyre, and a deactivated position, where it is spaced from the tyre), wherein the bead breaker tool ( 13 ) includes a mounting element ( 13 A) and a bead breaker disc ( 13 B) which can rotate freely relative to the mounting element, the bead breaker tool ( 13 ) including a sensor ( 131 ), configured to generate a contact signal ( 132 ) representing a relative rotation between the bead breaker disc ( 138 ) and the mounting element ( 13 A); a control unit connected to the sensor to receive the contact signal.

2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is connected to the actuator to drive it and is configured to generate stop signals as a function of the contact signal received from the sensor in order to stop the actuator.

3 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit has access to a position signal, representing a position of the bead breaker tool along the direction of movement and is configured to store a value of the position signal as a function of the value of the additional contact signal.

4 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bead breaker tool is movable in a working plane, perpendicular to the direction of movement, between an interference position, where the bead breaker tool is aligned with the tyre on the wheel along the direction of movement, and a non-interference position, where the bead breaker tool is out of alignment with the tyre ( 3 ) on the wheel along the direction of movement.

5 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator is configured to drive the bead breaker tool rotationally and/or translationally in the working plane, wherein the control unit is configured to receive configuration data representing a diameter of the wheel and to generate drive signals as a function of which the bead breaker tool is moved to the interference position.

6 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bead breaker tool is movable in the working plane along a direction of activation incident upon the axis of rotation of the supporting element.

7 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a sensor of one of the following types:
magnetic sensor; induction sensor, capacitive sensor; ultrasonic sensor; optical sensor.

8 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator is a hydraulic cylinder.

9 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the supporting element is movable relative to the frame transitionally along a direction of adjustment.

10 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising an additional arm and an additional bead breaker tool, disposed along the direction of movement on a side of the wheel opposite to that where the bead breaker tool is disposed, wherein the additional bead breaker tool comprises a respective sensor, a respective mounting element and a respective bead breaker disc and wherein the additional bead breaker tool is configured to generate a respective contact signal representing a relative rotation between the respective mounting element and the respective bead breaker disc, wherein the control unit is connected to the sensor of the additional bead breaker tool to receive the respective contact signal.

11 . A bead breaker tool in an apparatus for demounting a tyre from a corresponding rim of a wheel, comprising:
a mounting element; a bead breaker disc, freely rotatable relative to the mounting element; a sensor, configured to generate a contact signal representing a relative rotation between the bead breaker disc and the mounting element.

12 . A method for demounting a tyre from a respective rim of a wheel, comprising the following steps:
supporting the wheel on a supporting element; rotating the supporting element about an axis of rotation; moving an arm relative to the supporting element along a direction of movement parallel to the axis of rotation by means of an actuator; moving a bead breaker tool, connected to the arm, relative to the supporting element, between an activated position, where it is in contact with the tyre, and a deactivated position, where it is spaced from the tyre; detecting a relative rotation between a mounting element and a bead breaker disc of the bead breaker tool by means of a sensor generating a contact signal representing relative rotation between the mounting element and the bead breaker disc of the bead breaker tool; receiving the contact signal in a control unit.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , comprising a step of generating stop signals, generated by the control unit as a function of the contact signal and a step of stopping, wherein the step of moving the bead breaker tool is stopped as a function of the stop signals.

14 . The method according to claim 12 , comprising the following steps:
accessing a position signal representing a position of the bead breaker tool along the direction of movement; storing a value of the position signal as a function of the contact signal received from the sensor.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , comprising the following steps:
accessing an additional position signal representing a position of an additional bead breaker tool along the direction of movement; the additional bead breaker tool being disposed along the direction of movement, on an opposite side of the wheel with respect to the bead breaker tool; storing a value of the additional position signal as a function of a respective contact signal received from a respective sensor of the additional bead breaker tool; calculating the distance along the direction of movement between the two sidewalls of the tyre, as a function of the value of the position signal and the value of the additional position signal.

Assignees

• Nexion Spa

Inventors

• Corghi Giulio

Classifications

• B60C25/0506 Primary

  for demounting only · CPC title

• B60C25/0548

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

• B60C25/0545

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

• B60C25/0512

  Integrated systems performing multiple operations, e.g. assembly lines · CPC title

• B60C25/059

  Conjoint tool operations, i.e. at least two tools cooperating simultaneously · CPC title