Methods and systems for wheel balancer matching and flat spot correction
First Claim
1. A computer implemented method of analyzing a vehicle wheel assembly including a tire and a rim,the method utilizing a wheel balancer system including a drive shaft having a longitudinal axis and being rotatable about the longitudinal axis, a load roller, and at least one sensor, and a computer receiving a signal input from the at least one sensor,the vehicle wheel assembly removably mountable to the drive shaft, and said method comprising:
- rotating the wheel assembly about the longitudinal axis with the drive shaft while the wheel assembly is mounted thereto;
applying a substantially radial force to the wheel assembly with the load roller;
measuring variations, with the at least one sensor, in the radial force from tire flatspotting; and
determining, with the computer based on the signal input of the at least one sensor, a condition of the wheel assembly based on a plurality of radial harmonics of the measured variations.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for a computer implemented method of analyzing a vehicle wheel assembly including a tire and a rim is provided. The method includes removably mounting a wheel assembly on a shaft having a longitudinal axis and being rotatable about the longitudinal axis to rotate the wheel assembly, applying a substantially radial force to the wheel assembly during rotation thereof, and measuring variations in the radial force from at least one of radial runout, tire uniformity, and tire flatspotting. The method also includes determining a condition of the wheel assembly based on a spectral density analysis of the measured variations.
17 Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A computer implemented method of analyzing a vehicle wheel assembly including a tire and a rim,
the method utilizing a wheel balancer system including a drive shaft having a longitudinal axis and being rotatable about the longitudinal axis, a load roller, and at least one sensor, and a computer receiving a signal input from the at least one sensor, the vehicle wheel assembly removably mountable to the drive shaft, and said method comprising: -
rotating the wheel assembly about the longitudinal axis with the drive shaft while the wheel assembly is mounted thereto; applying a substantially radial force to the wheel assembly with the load roller; measuring variations, with the at least one sensor, in the radial force from tire flatspotting; and determining, with the computer based on the signal input of the at least one sensor, a condition of the wheel assembly based on a plurality of radial harmonics of the measured variations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A method of matching a tire to a wheel rim with a wheel balancer system, the wheel balancer system including a rotatable swindle, a load roller, at least one sensor and a central processing unit (CPU) responsive to the at least one sensor,
the method comprising: -
rotating the wheel assembly with the spindle; determining a plurality of radial force variation harmonics of the wheel assembly by applying a force to the tire with the load roller and sensing radial vibration force; analyzing, with the CPU and using spectral density analysis, the plurality of radial force variation harmonics; and based on the analysis, the CPU automatically detecting a flat spot condition of the tire and outputting a relative rotational mounting position of the tire with respect to the wheel rim. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A method of matching a tire to a wheel rim of a wheel with a wheel balancer system, the method comprising:
-
determining radial force variation of the wheel assembly with the wheel balancer system; analyzing, with the wheel balancer system, the radial force variation using spectral density analysis; detecting, with the wheel balancer system, a flat spot condition of the tire if present, and outputting, based on the analyzed radial force vibration and any detected flat spot condition, a relative rotational mounting position of the tire with respect to the wheel rim. - View Dependent Claims (15)
-
-
16. A wheel balancer comprising:
-
a shaft adapted for receiving a wheel assembly, said shaft having a longitudinal axis and being rotatable about said axis so as to rotate the wheel assembly removably mounted thereon; a sensor assembly for measuring rotation of the shaft about said longitudinal axis; a vibration sensor assembly for measuring vibration of the wheel assembly as the wheel assembly is rotated; a motor operatively connected to the shaft for rotating said shaft about said longitudinal axis, thereby to rotate the wheel assembly; a load roller for applying a generally radial force to the wheel assembly; a sensor for measuring a variation of the radial force during rotation of said wheel assembly; and a control circuit configured to determine flatspotting of the tire utilizing at least one of the measured vibration of the wheel assembly and the measured radial force variation. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A wheel balancer comprising:
-
a shaft adapted for receiving a wheel assembly, said shaft having a longitudinal axis and being rotatable about said axis so as to rotate the wheel assembly removably mounted thereon; a sensor assembly for measuring rotation of the shaft about said longitudinal axis; a vibration sensor assembly for measuring vibration of the wheel assembly as the wheel assembly is rotated; a motor operatively connected to the shaft for rotating said shaft about said longitudinal axis, thereby to rotate the wheel assembly; at least one of a non-contact sensor configured to measure a radial runout of the wheel assembly and a contact sensor configured to track an outer peripheral surface of the wheel assembly with insufficient force to deform the outer peripheral surface; and a control circuit configured to determine flatspotting of the tire utilizing at least one of the measured vibration of the wheel assembly and the measured radial runout.
-
Specification