Tire changer with rotational position and tracking control

• US 8,770,254 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2010
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hunter Engineering Company
• Original Assignee: Hunter Engineering Company
• Inventors: Hanneken, Douglas S., Vaninger, Micah N., Clasquin, Joel, Molbach, Steven K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shakeri, Hadi
• Application Number:
  US12/912,448
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• Field of Search: 157/1, 157/1.17, 157/1.24, 157/1.26, 157/1.28
• US Class Current: 157/1.17
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 25/0548 equipped with sensing means, e.g. for positioning, measuring or controlling
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 25/0554 optical, e.g. cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 25/138 with rotary motion of tool or tyre support

Abstract

A tire changer machine includes a control system that monitors a rotational position of a sensitive feature associated with a wheel rim and tire during a tire change procedure. The system adjusts operation of the machine to avoid damaging the sensitive feature, which may be a valve stem or a wheel sensor such as a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) sensor.

Claims

1. A tire changer machine for changing a tire on a wheel rim, the machine comprising:

a base;

a drive assembly coupled to the base and configured to rotate the wheel rim and tire about a rotational axis;

at least one tool configured to engage the tire in a tire change procedure;

a rotational position sensor providing a signal indicative of a rotational position of the wheel rim and tire; and

a controller operatively coupled to the drive assembly and the at least one tool;

wherein the controller is configured to;

monitor the signal and a corresponding rotational position of at least one designated feature of the wheel rim or tire during a tire change procedure; and

while the wheel rim and tire are rotated about the rotational axis in the tire change procedure, adjust a position of the at least one tool in response to the rotational position of the at least one designated feature.

2. The tire changer machine of claim 1, wherein the drive assembly includes a rotating spindle, and the rotational position sensor is a component of the spindle.

3. The tire changer machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one designated feature is one of a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) sensor and a valve stem.

4. The tire changer machine of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to accept at least one reference input corresponding to the rotational position of the at least one designated feature, and thereafter monitor the rotational position of the reference input during the tire change procedure.

5. The tire changer machine of claim 4, wherein the at least one reference input is automatically determined by the controller.

6. The tire changer machine of claim 4, wherein the machine includes at least one machine vision component, the machine vision component determining the at least one reference input.

7. The tire changer machine of claim 4, wherein the machine includes a reference point locator, the reference point locator determining a location of the reference input when the at least one designated feature is aligned with the reference point locator.

8. The tire changer machine of claim 7, wherein the reference point locator is one of a laser indicator or a dataset arm.

9. The tire changer machine of claim 1, wherein the tire change procedure is one of a bead breaking procedure, a tire mounting procedure, and a tire de-mounting procedure.

10. The tire changer machine of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to, while the wheel rim and tire are rotated about the rotational axis in the tire change procedure, adjust operation of the drive assembly as the at least one designated feature is rotated proximate the at least one tool.

11. The tire changer machine of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the operation of the drive assembly to stop or reverse the operation of the drive assembly.

12. The tire changer machine of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to alert an operator of a positional conflict between the at least one tool and the at least one designated feature while the tire change procedure is being executed.

13. The tire changer machine of claim 12, wherein the machine includes a display, and wherein the controller is further configured to display a message to an operator relating to the positional conflict.

14. The tire changer machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one tool is automatically positionable by the controller to engage the tire, and wherein the controller is further configured to initially adjust a relative position between the at least one designated feature and the at least one tool so as to perform the tire change procedure with a reduced likelihood of a positional conflict there between.

15. The tire changer machine of claim 1, wherein the tire change procedure is one of a tire mount procedure and a tire de-mount procedure.

16. The tire changer machine of claim 15, wherein an initial rotational position of the at least one designated feature with respect to the at least one tool is different prior to executing the respective tire mount and de-mount procedures.

17. The tire changer machine of claim 1, wherein the controller is further adapted to apply, based on the signal, at least one of a keep out zone or a keep in zone for one of the operation of one of the at least one tool and a rotational position of the at least one designated feature.

18. A tire changer machine for changing a tire on a wheel rim, the machine comprising:

a base;

a drive assembly coupled to the base and configured to rotate the wheel rim and tire about a drive axis;

at least one tool configured to engage the tire in a tire change procedure;

a rotational position sensor providing a signal indicative of a rotational position;

a controller responsive to said signal to monitor a rotational position of at least one designated feature of the wheel rim or tire during a tire change procedure; and

at least one force sensor associated with the at least one tool;

wherein the controller is configured to;

engage the at least one tool to the tire;

rotate the drive assembly;

receive a signal from the rotational position sensor; and

determine at least one reference point corresponding to a sensitive feature associated with the wheel rim or tire in response to the received force signal from the force sensor.

19. The tire changer machine of claim 18, wherein the at least one tool is a bead breaker tool.

20. A method of performing a tire change procedure utilizing a tire changer machine including a base, a drive assembly coupled to the base and configured to rotate a wheel rim and associated tire about a rotational axis, at least one tool configured to engage the tire in the tire change procedure, a rotational position sensor providing a signal indicative of a rotational position of the wheel rim and associated tire about the rotational axis, and a controller responsive to said signal, the method being executable by the controller and comprising:

accepting a reference input corresponding to a designated feature associated with the wheel rim or tire; and

operating the machine to avoid a positional conflict between the designated feature and the at least one tool by

adjusting a position of the at least one tool in response to the signal as the at least one designated feature is rotated proximate the tool during rotation of the wheel rim and tire about the rotational axis.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the designated feature is one of a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) sensor and a valve stem.

22. The method of claim 20, the machine including a machine vision component, and wherein accepting the reference input comprises utilizing the machine vision component to determine the reference input.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

using the reference input to determine the positional conflict.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein accepting the reference input comprises automatically determining, with the controller, the reference input.

25. The method of claim 20, the machine including a reference point locator, and wherein accepting the reference input comprises accepting a location designated by the reference point locator on the wheel rim or tire.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the location designated by the reference point locator is aligned with the designated feature.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the reference point locator is a laser indicator, and wherein accepting the reference input comprises accepting the location of a reference indicia illuminated with the laser indicator on the wheel rim or tire.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the reference point locator is a dataset arm having an indicator tip, and wherein accepting the reference input comprise accepting the location of the dataset arm indicator tip.

29. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least one tool is a bead breaker tool.

30. The method of claim 20, wherein the tire change procedure is one of a bead breaking procedure, a tire mounting procedure, and a tire de-mounting procedure.

31. The method of claim 20, wherein operating the machine to avoid the positional conflict further comprises, while the wheel rim and tire are being rotated about the rotational axis in the tire change procedure, adjusting operation of the drive assembly as the at least one designated feature is rotated proximate the tool.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising stopping or reversing the operation of the drive assembly to avoid the positional conflict.

33. The method of claim 20, further comprising alerting an operator of the positional conflict.

34. The method of claim 20, wherein the machine includes a display, the method further comprising displaying a message to an operator.

35. The method of claim 20, further comprising initially adjusting a relative position of the at least one designated feature and the at least one tool to perform a tire change procedure with a reduced likelihood of the positional conflict.

36. The method of claim 20, the method further comprising accepting one of a tire mount mode and a tire de-mount mode for executing the procedure.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising rotating the tire to one of two different start positions respectively corresponding to the accepted one of the tire mount mode and the tire de-mount mode.

38. The method of claim 20, wherein accepting the reference input comprises recalling the reference input from a database or data store.

39. The method of claim 20, wherein operating the machine to avoid the positional conflict further comprises, while the wheel rim and tire are rotated about the rotational axis during the tire change procedure, applying at least one of a keep out zone and a keep in zone for one of the at least one tool and a rotational position of the designated feature.

40. A method of performing a tire change procedure with a tire changer machine including a base, a drive assembly coupled to the base and configured to rotate a wheel rim and associated tire about a rotational axis, at least one tool configured to engage the tire in a tire change procedure, a rotational position sensor providing a signal indicative of a rotational position of the wheel rim and associated tire, a controller responsive to said signal, and at least one force sensor associated with the at least one tool, the method being executable by the controller and comprising:

accepting a reference input corresponding to a designated feature associated with the wheel rim or tire by;

engaging the at least one tool to the tire;

rotating the wheel rim and tire about the rotational axis while monitoring the signal of the rotational position sensor; and

monitoring a force signal from the at least one force sensor to determine the at least one reference input, the reference input corresponding to the designated feature; and

operating the machine to avoid a positional conflict between the designated feature and one of a component of the machine and the tire as influenced by the machine.

41. A tire changer machine for changing a tire on a wheel rim, the machine comprising:

a base;

a drive assembly coupled to the base and configured to rotate the wheel rim and tire about a rotational axis;

at least one tool configured to engage the tire during a tire change procedure;

a rotational position sensor configured to provide a signal indicative of a rotational position of the wheel rim and tire; and

a controller operatively coupled to the drive assembly and to the at least one tool;

wherein the controller is configured to;

monitor the signal and a rotational position of at least one designated feature of the wheel rim or tire during a tire change procedure; and

while the wheel rim and tire are rotated about the rotational axis during the tire change procedure, adjust a relative position between the at least one tool and the wheel rim or tire in response to the rotational position of the at least one designated feature, thereby avoiding a positional conflict between the at least one tool and the at least one designated feature.

42. The tire changer machine of claim 41 wherein the controller is configured to adjust the relative position between the at least one tool and the wheel rim or tire by adjusting the operation of the drive assembly.

43. The tire changer machine of claim 41 wherein the controller is configured to adjust the relative position between the tool and the wheel rim or tire by adjusting the position of the at least one tool.

44. A method of performing a tire change procedure utilizing a tire changer machine including a base, a drive assembly coupled to the base and configured to rotate a wheel rim and associated tire about a rotational axis, at least one tool configured to engage the tire in the tire change procedure, a rotational position sensor providing a signal indicative of a rotational position of the wheel rim and associated tire about the rotational axis, and a controller responsive to said signal, the method being executable by the controller and comprising:

accepting a reference input corresponding to a rotational position of a designated feature associated with the wheel rim or tire; and

operating the machine to avoid a positional conflict between the designated feature and the at least one tool during rotation of the wheel rim and associated tire about the rotational axis;

wherein operating the machine to avoid the positional conflict comprises, while the wheel rim and tire are being rotated about the rotational axis, adjusting a relative position between the at least one tool and the wheel rim or tire in response to the rotational position signal.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein operating the machine to avoid the positional conflict further comprises adjusting the relative position between the at least one tool and the wheel rim or tire by adjusting the operation of the drive assembly.

46. The method of claim 44 wherein operating the machine to avoid the positional conflict further comprises adjusting the relative position between the tool and the wheel rim or tire by adjusting the position of the at least one tool.