AUTOMATIC ANTI-SLIPPING SYSTEM AND AUTOMATIC ANTI-SLIPPING METHOD

• US 20130248120A1
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Published: 09/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2012
• 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 9,610,804 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 157/14
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2900/541 Servicing
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 30/06 engaging the wheel body, e.g. the rim

Abstract

An automatic anti-slipping system for a rotationally fixed attachment of a rim of a wheel in a wheel service machine, comprises a wheel supporting and rotating means (20), for supporting and rotating a wheel to be serviced. At least two driving pins (32) are provided at the wheel supporting and rotating means (20) for reversibly generating a rotationally fixed connection between a wheel supporting and rotating means (20) and a rim of a wheel to be serviced, wherein at least one of the at least two driving pins (32) is adapted to come in a positive locking engagement with at least one recess of a rim, and wherein the at least two driving pins (32) are adapted to be reversibly moveable, and actuator means (40) are able to reversibly move the driving pins (32) in an actuated state.

Claims

1. An automatic anti-slipping system for a rotationally fixed attachment of a rim of a wheel in a wheel service machine, comprising:

wheel supporting and rotating means having a rotary axis, for supporting and rotating a wheel to be serviced, wherein a rim of a wheel to be serviced can be placed onto a rim supporting surface of the wheel supporting and rotating means,

at least two driving pins being provided at the wheel supporting and rotating means for reversibly generating a rotationally fixed connection between the wheel supporting and rotating means and a rim of a wheel to be serviced, wherein at least one of the at least two driving pins is adapted to come in a positive locking engagement with at least one recess of a rim when coinciding with said recess of a rim, and wherein the at least two driving pins are adapted to be reversibly moveable in a direction parallel to the rotary axis of the wheel supporting and rotating means, and

actuator means being able to reversibly move the driving pins in an actuated state.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein a plurality of driving pins are provided at the wheel supporting and rotating means.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the driving pins are arranged at equal radiuses referred to the rotary axis of the wheel supporting and rotating means.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the driving pins are arranged at different radiuses referred to the rotary axis of the wheel supporting and rotating means.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the driving pins are arranged at equal distances in circumferential direction around the rotary axis of the wheel supporting and rotating means.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the driving pins are arranged at different distances in circumferential direction around the rotary axis of the wheel supporting and rotating means.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the driving pins are arranged in helical shape around the rotary axis of the wheel supporting and rotating means.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the actuator means are rotatably decoupled from the rotatable wheel supporting and rotating means by a bearing member.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the wheel supporting and rotating means comprises a rim-side plate including the rim supporting surface and a driving shaft-side plate and wherein the actuator means actuates the driving shaft-side plate supporting the driving pins.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the actuator means comprises at least one actuator device comprising at least one spring or at least one fluid driven actuator or at least one mechanical or electrical driven actuator as well as any possible combination thereof.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the wheel supporting and rotating means has a hole in axial direction coinciding with its rotary axis for housing a wheel clamping means.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the wheel supporting and rotating means comprises chuck jaws to radially clamp a rim of a wheel to be serviced.

13. The system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the actuator means actuating the driving pins exerts an actuating force which is smaller than the weight force of a rim or a wheel or a wheel assembly to be serviced.

14. An automatic anti-slipping method for a rotationally fixed attachment of a rim of a wheel in a wheel service machine comprising the steps of:

arranging a rim of a wheel to be serviced on wheel supporting and rotating means having a rotary axis, for supporting and rotating the wheel,

providing actuator means for reversibly moving at least two driving pins being provided at the wheel supporting and rotating means for reversibly generating a rotationally fixed connection between the wheel supporting and rotating means and a rim of a wheel to be serviced, and being adapted to be reversibly movable in a direction parallel to the rotary axis of the wheel supporting and rotating means, and

actuating the at least two driving pins in an actuated state in which the driving pins can protrude from a rim supporting surface of the wheel supporting and rotating means and wherein at least one of the at least two driving pins is adapted to reversibly come in a positive locking engagement with at least one recess of a rim when coinciding with said recess of a rim.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the step of actuating the at least two driving pins is carried out by making use of an actuator force which is smaller than the weight force of a rim or a wheel or a wheel assembly to be serviced.