Method of and apparatus for determining geometrical dimensions of a wheel rim, in particular when fitting and/or removing a motor vehicle tyre

• US 20080123107A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2006
• 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: SOTGIU, Paolo
• Granted Patent: US 7,715,024 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/601
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 25/0554 optical, e.g. cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 25/138 with rotary motion of tool or tyre support
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37275 Laser, interferometer
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45021 Wheel mounting

Abstract

An apparatus for and a method of fitting or removing a motor vehicle tyre 4 comprising a rotatably supported wheel receiving device 2 to which the rim 3 is to be fixed, at least one fitting or removal tool 5, a rotary drive device 10 for the wheel receiving device and a sensing device 6, 7, 8 for sensing the radially outer rim contour 12, 14 along which the at least one fitting or removal tool is to be guided during the fitting or removal operation, wherein the sensing device 6, 7, 8 is a sensing device which contact-lessly senses the rim contour and the sensing signals of which are converted into electrical sensing signals, and connected to the sensing device 6, 7, 8 is a control device 9 which evaluates the electrical sensing signals and which controls the at least one fitting or removal tool 5 in the fitting or removal operation in dependence on the sensing signals without contact with the rim surface.

Claims

1. A method of determining geometrical dimensions of a rim of a motor vehicle wheel by contact-less sensing, characterised in that a light beam is emitted on to the rim or at least a part of the rim and the light beam reflected at the impingement point is detected and that the directions of the emitted and reflected light beams are evaluated for determining the position of the respective impingement spot on the rim.

2. A method according to claim 1 characterised in that the at least one light beam is directed on to the rim which rotates about a stationary axis.

3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2 characterised in that the at least one light beam is emitted on to the rim from one or more given positions.

4. A method according to one of claims 1 to 3 characterised in that at least one annular surface around the rim axis is sensed on the rim with the at least one light beam.

5. A method according to one of claims 1 to 4 characterised in that at least one of the two rim beads is sensed with the light beam.

6. A method according to one of claims 1 to 5 characterised in that the outer peripheral surface of the rim is sensed with the light beam.

7. A method according to one of claims 1 to 6 characterised in that the spacings of the respective rim parts which are sensed by the light beam relative to a stationary reference are ascertained.

8. A method according to claim 7 characterised in that the operation of determining the spacing is effected in accordance with a triangulation method.

9. A method of fitting or removing a motor vehicle tyre in which, using a method according to one of claims 1 to 8, the rim contour along which at least one fitting or removal tool is guided during the fitting or removal operation is contact-lessly sensed and the movement of the fitting or removal tool is guided in dependence on the sensed contour without contact with the rim surface.

10. A method according to claim 9 characterised in that the movement of the at least one fitting or removal tool is controlled in dependence on the sensed position of at least one of the two rim beads and in dependence on the stored or sensed contour of the rim bed.

11. A method according to claim 9 or claim 10 characterised in that the movement of the at least one fitting or removal tool is controlled in dependence on the detected position of the outer peripheral edge of at least one of the two rim beads (12).

13. Apparatus according to claim 11 characterised in that two sensing devices (6, 7) having the light sources (15) and the detectors (16) are provided for sensing the two rim beads (12).

14. Apparatus according to claim 11 or claim 12 characterised in that in addition a further light source (15) and an associated detector (16) are provided as the sensing device (8) for sensing the rim outside surface (14).

15. Apparatus according to one of claims 11 to 13 characterised in that the light source (15) and the detector (16) are pivotable synchronously about a common axis (17) and an electrical signal proportional to the respective pivot angle is fed to the evaluation arrangement (18).

16. Apparatus according to one of claims 11 to 14 characterised in that the evaluation arrangement (18) is suitable for determining the position of the respective location which is sensed on the rim surface from the directions of the light beam emitted by the light source (15) and the light beam reflected at the rim surface by means of triangulation.

17. Apparatus according to one of claims 11 to 15 characterised in that the rim (3) is mounted on a wheel receiving device (2) rotatably about the wheel axis (11).

12. Apparatus for determining the geometrical dimensions of a rim of a motor vehicle wheel comprising a sensing device (6, 7, 8) for sensing the rim surface and a computer-aided evaluation arrangement (18) for evaluation of the electrical sensing signals supplied by the sensing device (6, 7, 8), characterised in that the sensing device (6, 7, 8) has at least one light source (15) which emits a light beam from at least one given position in at least one given direction on to the rim surface, and a detector (16) which detects the direction of the light beam reflected by the rim surface, and that the evaluation arrangement (18) is suitable for determining the position of the location sensed by the light beam on the rim surface, from the directions of the emitted light beam and the reflected light beam.

18. Apparatus according to one of claims 12 to 17 characterised in that a rotary angle sender (13) detects the respective rotary angle position of the rim (3) and supplies a corresponding electrical signal to the evaluation arrangement (18).

19. Apparatus in particular according to one of claims 12 to 18 for fitting or removing a motor vehicle tyre (4) comprising a rotatably supported wheel receiving device (2) to which the rim (3) is to be fixed, at least one fitting or removal tool (5), a rotary drive device (10) for the wheel receiving device and a sensing device (6, 7, 8) for sensing the radially outer rim contour (12, 14) along which the at least one fitting or removal tool is to be guided during the fitting or removal operation, characterised in that the sensing device (6, 7, 8) is a sensing device which contact-lessly senses the rim contour and the sensing signals of which are converted into electrical sensing signals, and that a control device (9) is connected to an evaluation arrangement (18) for evaluating the sensing signals, which control device controls the at least one fitting or removal tool (5) in the fitting or removal operation in dependence on the sensing signals without contact with the rim surface.

20. Apparatus according to claim 19 characterised in that the sensing device (6, 7, 8) is an optical sensing device according to one of claims 12 to 17.

21. Apparatus according to one of claims 18 to 20 characterised in that the sensing device (6, 7, 8) is arranged in front of the at least one fitting or removal tool (5) in the direction of rotation of the wheel receiving device (2).

22. Apparatus according to one of claims 18 to 21 characterised in that the spatial position of the respectively sensed point on the rim is determined with respect to the machine frame and in particular with respect to the respective fitting or removal tool (5).

23. Apparatus according to one of claims 18 to 22 characterised in that the respective spatial position of the rim beads (12) and in particular the outer peripheral edges of the rim beads (12) is determined.

24. Apparatus according to one of claims 18 to 23 characterised in that the evaluation arrangement (18) is suitable for determining the spatial position of the rim bed (14) which is between the rim beads (12).

25. Apparatus according to one of claims 18 to 24 characterised in that, for different wheel types, contours of the rim beds (14) are stored in a store (19) of the control device (9) or in a store connected to the control device (9).

26. Apparatus according to one of claims 18 to 25 characterised in that the contours of the rim beads (12) are additionally stored in the store (19).