Ceramic balance beads and method of tire balancing

• US 7,360,846 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2005
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Innovative Balancing LLC
• Original Assignee: Robert L. Krueger
• Inventors: Krueger, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bellinger; Jason R.
• Application Number:
  US11/157,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20060001309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 301/5.21, 301/5.22
• US Class Current: 301/5.22
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/363 using rolling bodies, e.g. balls free to move in a circumferential direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/36 by adjusting position of masses built-in the body to be tested

Abstract

A container 10 is filled with ceramic balancing beads 20. The container is held closed by a removable clip 15, 16 or a mild adhesive 14. The beads are high density and therefore low in volume with regular surfaces, spherical or ellipsoid, for moving smoothly over one another. The container 20 self-opens when impact forces overcome the mild adhesive.

Claims

1. A method for treating a tire to balance a wheel comprising the steps of:

providing a container with an opening at one end and holding a quantity of balancing material;

wherein the container has a removable resilient clip on the container at a location on the container spaced axially between the open end of the container and an adhesive, and at least as far from the open end as the adhesive;

temporarily closing the ends of the container;

inserting the temporarily closed container into a tire;

mounting the tire on a wheel; and

impacting the wheel to open the container and thereby release the balancing material into the inside of the tire.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the balancing material comprises zirconium silica beads.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of mounting the wheel on an axle of a vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of impacting the wheel to open the container comprises operating the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of impacting the wheel to open the container comprises bouncing the wheel.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the container comprises a rectangular bag.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the balancing material has a density greater than 2.6 gm/cc.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the balancing material has a density of between 3.0 and 6.1 gm/cc.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the balancing material has a hardness of about 7 Mohs.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the balancing material has hardness in a range of 6 to 9 Mohs.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the balancing material has a size between 0.6 and 2.0 mm.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the balancing material comprises ZrO₂ and SiO₂.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the ratio of ZrO₂ to SiO₂ is 2 to 1 or greater.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the balancing material is fused.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the balancing material is sintered.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the balancing material comprises one or more of the materials from the groups consisting of fused zirconia silica toughened with yttria and alumina, magnesium stabilized zirconia oxide, cerium stabilized zirconia oxide, and yttria stabilized zirconia oxide.

17. An apparatus for treating a tire to balance a wheel comprising:

a container with an opening at one end for holding a quantity of balancing material;

a quantity of ceramic balancing material in the container;

an adhesive applied to the opening to keep the container temporarily closed; and

a removable resilient clip on the container at a location on the container spaced axially between the open end of the container and the adhesive and, at least as far from the open end as the adhesive.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the balancing material comprises zirconium silica beads.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the container comprises a rectangular bag.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the balancing material has a density of more than 2.6 gm/cc.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the balancing material has a density of between 3.0 and 6.1 gm/cc.

22. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the balancing material has a hardness of about 7 Mohs.

23. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the balancing material has a hardness in a range of 6-9 Mohs.

24. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the balancing material has a size between about 0.6 to 2.0 mm.

25. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the balancing material comprises ZrO₂ and SiO₂.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the ratio of ZrO₂ to SiO₂ is 2 to 1 or greater.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the balancing material is fused.

28. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the balancing material is sintered.

29. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the balancing material comprises one or more of the materials from the groups consisting of fused zirconia silica toughened with yttria and alumina, magnesium stabilized zirconia oxide, cerium stabilized zirconia oxide, and yttria stabilized zirconia oxide.