Balancing machine for balancing vehicle wheels

• US 8,356,516 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2009
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sicam S.r.l. (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Sicam S.r.l. (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Montanari, Marco, Nicolini, Roberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Kwok, Helen C.
• Application Number:
  US12/585,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20100139396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 734/60, 734/62, 734/68, 738/663
• US Class Current: 73/462
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/02 Details of balancing machines or devices

Abstract

The balancing machine for balancing vehicle wheels comprises a supporting structure for supporting grip and rotation members for gripping and rotating a wheel to be balanced, a detector for detecting the unbalance of the wheel during rotation, a processing unit which is operatively associated with the grip and rotation members and with the detector, and interface assembly associated with the supporting structure and operatively associated with the processing unit. The interface assembly comprises a support associated to the supporting structure, a screen housed internally of a first housing on the support and a keyboard housed internally of a second housing on the support.

Claims

1. A balancing machine for balancing vehicle wheels, comprising a supporting structure for supporting grip and rotation means for gripping and rotating a wheel to be balanced, detection means for detecting the unbalance of the wheel during rotation, at least a processing unit which is operatively associated to said grip and rotation means and to said detection means, and interface assembly associated with said supporting structure and operatively associated with said processing unit, wherein said interface assembly comprises a support associated with said supporting structure, at least a screen housed internally of a first housing on said support and at least a keyboard housed internally of a second housing on said support, said support being substantially plate-shaped, said supporting structure comprises at least a seat for housing said support, and said seat is shaped to reproduce at least in part the profile of said support.

2. The machine according to the claim 1, wherein said screen and said keyboard are arranged side by side.

3. The machine according to claim 1, wherein said keyboard is of a discrete keyboard type.

4. The machine according to claim 1, wherein said keyboard is of a touch keyboard type.

5. The machine according to claim 1, wherein said screen is of an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screen type.

6. The machine according to claim 1, wherein said interface means comprise at least a button housed internally of a third housing on said support, said button being operatively associated to said processing unit and adapted to pilot the start and the stop of said detection means for detecting the wheel unbalance.

7. The machine according to claim 6, wherein said button is of a touch button type.

8. The machine according to claim 6, wherein said screen, said keyboard and said button are arranged side by side.

9. The machine according to claim 6, wherein said interface means comprise at least a light indicator for indicating the start or stop condition of said detection means for detecting the wheel unbalance.

10. The machine according to claim 9, wherein said light indicator comprises a plurality of LEDs arranged along at least a section of the perimeter of said button.

11. The machine according to claim 1, wherein said interface means comprise at least an electrical connector associated to said support and electronically associated to said processing unit and to at least one of said screen and said keyboard.

12. The machine according to claim 6, wherein said interface means comprise at least an electrical connector associated to said support and electronically associated to said processing unit and to said button.

13. The machine according to claim 1, wherein said seat is defined at a front upper portion of said supporting structure.