Method and apparatus for vehicle wheel balancer imbalance correction weight type selection

• US 20060254361A1
• Filed: 05/11/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hunter Engineering Company
• Original Assignee: Hunter Engineering Company
• Inventors: Douglas, Michael W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,617,726 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/642
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/326 the body being a vehicle wheel

Abstract

A method of operation of a vehicle wheel balancer system for identifying an imbalance correction weight mode which an operator desires to utilize during an imbalance correction procedure without requiring the operator to manually input or select an imbalance correction weight mode prior to beginning the placement of the imbalance correction weights. The imbalance correction weight mode is determined from operator guided movements of one or more dataset arms which identify if an operator-selected imbalance correction weight placement plane is associated with a clip-on imbalance correction weight, an adhesive imbalance correction weight, or a patch-type imbalance correction weight.

Claims

1. A method for imbalance correction weight mode selection on a vehicle wheel balancer system having at least one dataset arm, comprising:

detecting a position of the dataset arm relative to a vehicle wheel rim mounted to the vehicle wheel balancer system; and

selecting an imbalance correction weight mode responsive to said position of the dataset arm.

2. The method of claim 1 for imbalance correction weight mode selection further including the steps of:

tracking a position of a second dataset arm relative to said vehicle wheel rim mounted to the vehicle wheel balancer system; and

wherein said selecting step is further responsive to said tracked position of said second dataset arm to select an imbalance correction weight mode.

3. The method of claim 1 for imbalance correction weight mode selection wherein said imbalance correction weight mode is selected from a set including a clip-on imbalance correction weight mode, an adhesive imbalance correction weight mode, a patch imbalance correction weight mode, and a combination mode for a clip-on imbalance correction weight and an adhesive imbalance correction weight.

4. The method of claim 1 for imbalance correction weight mode selection wherein said imbalance correction weight mode is selected from a set including a static (single-plane) mode and a dynamic (two-plane) mode.

5. The method of claim 1 for imbalance correction weight mode selection wherein said imbalance correction weight mode is selected from a set including a clip-weight mode, a patch-weight mode, an adhesive-weight mode, and a mode utilizing a combination of clip-weights and adhesive-weights.

6. A improved vehicle wheel balancer system having a processing unit configured with a set of operating instructions and at least one dataset arm, the improvement comprising:

the processing unit configured with a set of operating instructions for selecting an imbalance correction weight mode responsive to a position of the dataset arm.

7. The improved vehicle wheel balancer system of claim 6 wherein the processing unit is further configured with a set of operating instructions for altering said selection of an imbalance correction weight mode responsive to a position of a second dataset arm.

8. The improved vehicle wheel balancer system of claim 6 wherein said processing unit is further configured to select said imbalance correction weight mode from a set including a clip-on imbalance correction weight mode, an adhesive imbalance correction weight mode, a patch imbalance correction weight mode, and a combination mode for a clip-on imbalance correction weight and an adhesive imbalance correction weight.

9. The improved vehicle wheel balancer system of claim 6 wherein said processing unit is further configured to select said imbalance correction weight mode from a set including a static (single-plane) mode and a dynamic (two-plane) mode.

10. A method for selecting a mode of operation for a vehicle wheel balancer system having at least one dataset arm, comprising:

selecting a mode of operation in response to a movement of a dataset arm.

11. The method of claim 10 for selecting a mode of operation for a vehicle wheel balancer system wherein said mode of operation is selected as a first mode of operation in response to a movement of an inner dataset arm, or as a second mode of operation in response to a movement of an outer dataset arm.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein responsive to selection of said second mode of operation, further including the step of identifying at least one patch imbalance correction weight placement location using said outer dataset arm.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein responsive to selection of said second mode of operation, further including the step of switching to said first mode of operation in response to a movement of the inner dataset arm.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein responsive to selection of said first mode of operation, further including the step of identifying an inner clip-on imbalance correction weight placement location.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein responsive to identification of an inner clip-on imbalance correction weight placement location, further including the step of identifying an outer clip-on imbalance correction weight placement location.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein responsive to identification of an inner clip-on imbalance correction weight placement location and to subsequent movement of either the inner dataset arm or the outer dataset arm towards an adhesive imbalance correction weight placement location, further including the step of switching to a third mode of operation.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein responsive to said switch to said third mode of operation, further including the step of identifying an outer adhesive imbalance correction weight placement location.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein responsive to selection of said first mode of operation, and to subsequent movement of said inner dataset arm towards an adhesive imbalance correction weight placement location, further including the step of selecting a third mode of operation.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein responsive to selection of said third mode of operation, further including the step of identifying inner and outer adhesive imbalance correction weight placement locations.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein responsive to selection of said first mode of operation, and to subsequent movement of said outer dataset arm, further including the step of identifying inner and outer clip-on imbalance correction weight placement locations.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein responsive to subsequent movement of said inner dataset arm towards an adhesive imbalance correction weight placement location, further including the step of selecting a third mode of operation.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein responsive to selection of said third mode of operation, further including the step of identifying inner and outer adhesive imbalance correction weight placement locations.