DEVICE AND A METHOD FOR OBTAINING INFORMATION ABOUT A WHEEL

• US 20100013913A1
• Filed: 07/15/2009
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nexion S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Societa' Italiana Construzioni Elettromeccaniche- Sice-Spa
• Inventors: VIGNOLI, Giuliano
• Granted Patent: US 8,943,880 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/61
• 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: G01M 17/013 Wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/027 using light, e.g. infrared, ultraviolet or holographic techniques

Abstract

A device and a method for obtaining information about a wheel (100), the device comprising a penetrating body (72) for at least partially inserting between a tyre (101) and a rim (102) of a wheel (100), and means (73) for acquiring the images, the means (73) being installed on a portion of the penetrating body (72) which is designed to be positioned in an internal space between the tyre (101) and the rim (102).

Claims

1. ) A device for obtaining information about a wheel (100), comprising a penetrating body (72) for being at least partially inserted between a tyre (101) and a rim (102) of a wheel (100), and means (73) for acquiring images installed in a portion of the penetrating body (72) designed to be located internally of the tyre (101), in a position between the tyre (101) and the rim (102).

2. ) The device of claim 1, characterized in that the means for acquiring images comprise a micro camera (73).

3. ) The device of claim 1, further comprising means for illuminating which are installed on the portion of the penetrating body (72) destined to be located internally of the tyre (101) between the tyre (101) and the rim (102).

4. ) The device of claim 1, characterized in that the means (73) for acquiring images are connected to means (81, 82) for displaying the images.

5. ) The device of claim 1, characterized in that the means (73) for acquiring images are connected to an electronic processor (8).

6. ) The device of claim 1, further comprising first rotating support means (3) for a wheel (100), and second means of support and movement (4, 42, 70) for at least partially inserting the penetrating body (72) between the tyre (101) and the rim (102) of the wheel (100), and for holding the penetrating body (72) stationary during rotation of the wheel (100).

7. ) A method for obtaining information about a wheel (100) comprising stages of insertion of a penetrating body (72) between the tyre (101) and a rim (102) of the wheel (100), and acquiring images of an internal volume of the wheel (100) using means for acquiring (73) installed on the penetrating body (72).

8. ) The method of claim 7, comprising an additional stage of illuminating the internal volume of the wheel (100) using means for illuminating installed on the penetrating body (72).

9. ) The method of claim 7, comprising a stage of rotating the wheel (100) relative to the penetrating body (72), during the acquisition of images by the means of acquisition (73).

10. ) The method of claim 7, comprising a stage of comparing the images of the internal volume of the wheel (100) acquired by the means for acquiring (73) with sample images.

11. ) The method of claim 7, comprising a stage of processing the images of the internal volume of the wheel (100) acquired by the means for acquiring (73) using artificial vision algorithms.