Device for lifting at least one vehicle wheel or tyre, with detector of the state of wear of the latter

• US 10,175,146 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2016
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Equipment S.r.l. (Snap-On Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Equipment S.r.l. (Snap-On Incorporated)
• Inventors: Braghiroli, Francesco, Gucciardino, Lillo, Sotgiu, Paolo, Tralli, Marco
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Andre
• Application Number:
  US15/018,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20160231203A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 7/28 Constructional details, e.g. end stops, pivoting supporting members, sliding runners adjustable to load dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/02 Details of balancing machines or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/013 Wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/021 Tyre supporting devices, e.g. chucks for balancing G01M1/04
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/027 using light, e.g. infrared, ultraviolet or holographic techniques

Abstract

A lifting device (10, 40) for at least one wheel (8) of a vehicle or for a tire (6), said device (10, 40) comprising at least one platform (12, 41, 42) on which the wheel (8) or tire (6) moves, said platform (12) being liftable relative to a fixed surface (P). The movable platform (12) is associated with a laser scanner (20) for detecting the state of wear of the tire (6).

Claims

1. A lifting device for at least one wheel of a vehicle or for a tire, said device comprising:

at least one platform on which the wheel or tire moves, said platform being liftable relative to a fixed surface; and

a laser scanner on the platform and configured to detect one or more of a state of wear, condition, and defectiveness of at least a portion of tread and/or of a lateral surface of the tire in at least one rotary position of the wheel or tire,

wherein the lifting device is associated with a tire changing machine or a balancing machine.

2. A lifting device according to claim 1, wherein the lifting device is associated with a tire changing machine.

3. A lifting device according to claim 1, wherein the lifting device is associated with a balancing machine.

4. A lifting device according to claim 1, wherein the laser scanner is connected to a control unit of a tire changing machine or a balancing machine.

5. A lifting device according to claim 4, wherein data read by said laser scanner are used by the control unit to control the operation of the tire changing machine or balancing machine.

6. A lifting device according to claim 1, wherein at least one laser scanner is associated with each platform of a vehicle lift.

7. A lifting device according to claim 1, wherein at least one laser scanner is positioned orthogonally to the direction of movement of the wheel or tire on the platform.

8. A lifting device according to claim 3, wherein the lifting device is associated with a balancing machine, and said platform is separated from the wheel or tire when the state of wear and/or the condition and/or the defectiveness of the tire is being detected.

9. A lifting device according to claim 8, wherein the state of wear and/or the condition and/or the defectiveness of the tire is detected over the whole circumference of the tire which is made to rotate by said balancing machine.

10. A lifting device according to claim 2, wherein the laser scanner is connected to a printer capable of printing detected data on the wear and/or condition and/or defectiveness, or data related thereto, on a paper medium.

11. A lifting device according to claim 1, wherein said laser scanner is connected to a digital data recording unit.

12. A lifting device according to claim 1, wherein said laser scanner is connected to a portable electronic device.

13. A lifting device according to claim 1, wherein said laser scanner is of a point laser type.

14. A lifting device according to claim 1, wherein said laser scanner is of a stripe of light type.

15. A lifting device according to claim 6, wherein said laser scanner is connected to a vehicle wheel alignment machine, and data detected by the laser scanner is used by the vehicle wheel alignment machine to carry out its designated operations.

16. A lifting device according to claim 11, wherein the digital data recording unit is a database.

17. A lifting device according to claim 12, wherein the portable electronic device is a smartphone or tablet.