Vehicle tire changing system with tool positioning sensor

• US 8,537,347 B1
• Filed: 04/30/2012
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hunter Engineering Company
• Original Assignee: Hunter Engineering Company
• Inventors: Clasquin, Joel, Gerdes, Michael D., Colarelli, Nicholas J. III, Hanneken, Doug
• Primary Examiner(s): RATCLIFFE, LUKE D
• Application Number:
  US13/460,066
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 35613901-1391
• US Class Current: 356/139.09
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 25/0554 optical, e.g. cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 25/132 for removing and mounting tyres for only seating the beads B60C25/12; for only breaking the beads B60C25/125 ; for locating provisionally the beads of tubeless tyres against the sealing surfaces of the rims B60C25/145
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 25/138 with rotary motion of tool or tyre support
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/02 Details of balancing machines or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/16 by oscillating or rotating the body to be tested

Abstract

A vehicle tire changing system is configured with sensors to acquire measurements associated with the relative spatial positions of tire service tools and a vehicle wheel assembly, and dimensions of the vehicle wheel assembly to automate and monitor the movement of an associated tire service tool and optionally, to store or convey the acquired dimensional information for use by other vehicle service systems.

Claims

1. A vehicle tire changing system having a processing unit, a support structure to secure a vehicle wheel assembly during a vehicle tire changing procedure, and a tire service tool for operatively engaging a secured vehicle wheel assembly, comprising:

at least one imaging sensor assembly configured to acquire data associated with a position of the tire service tool and the secured vehicle wheel assembly, said imaging sensor assembly in data communication with the processing unit; and

wherein the processing unit is configured to utilize said data associated with the position of the tire service tool and the secured vehicle wheel assembly, communicated from said imaging sensor assembly, to control the position of the tire service tool relative to the secured vehicle wheel assembly.

2. The vehicle tire changing system of claim 1 wherein said acquired data includes image data.

3. The vehicle tire changing system of claim 2 wherein said processing unit is configured to process said acquired data, communicated from said imaging sensor assembly, to identify one or more relative distance measurements.

4. The vehicle tire changing system of claim 2 wherein said imaging sensor assembly is configured to process said acquired image data to identify one or more relative distance measurements, and to communicate said relative distance measurements to the processing unit.

5. The vehicle tire changing system of claim 1 wherein the tire service tool is a tire bead removal arm supporting a tire bead roller for operatively engaging the vehicle wheel assembly to displace a tire from a wheel rim.

6. The vehicle tire changing system of claim 1 wherein the tire service tool is a tire mount/demount tool for operatively engaging the vehicle wheel assembly for mounting/demounting a tire to/from a wheel rim.

7. The vehicle tire changing system of claim 1 wherein the processing unit is configured to control automated movement between the tire service tool and a rim lip of the secured vehicle wheel assembly.

8. The vehicle tire changing system of claim 1 wherein the processing unit is configured to control automated movement between the tire service tool and a surface of the secured vehicle wheel assembly, said surface selected from a set of wheel assembly surfaces including an inner wheel rim lip, an outer wheel rim lip, an inner surface profile, a tire bead seat surface, a wheel spoke, a valve stem, a tire tread, a tire sidewall, and a marked location on the secured vehicle wheel assembly.

9. The vehicle tire changing system of claim 1 wherein said processing unit is configured to control the position of the tire service tool relative to the secured vehicle wheel assembly by controlling movement of the tire service tool.

10. The improved vehicle tire changing system of claim 1 wherein the tire service tool includes at least one tire bead removal arm supporting a tire bead roller for operatively engaging the vehicle wheel assembly to displace a tire from the wheel rim, and wherein said imaging sensor assembly is disposed on said at least one tire bead removal arm.

11. A method for operating a vehicle tire changing system having a processing unit, an imaging sensor assembly in data communication with the processing unit, a support structure to secure a vehicle wheel assembly during a vehicle tire changing procedure, and a tire service tool for operatively engaging a secured vehicle wheel assembly, comprising:

acquiring image data associated with a position of the actuated tire service tool and the secured vehicle wheel assembly via the imaging sensor assembly;

processing said acquired image data to identify the position of the actuated tire service tool relative to the secured vehicle wheel assembly; and

utilizing said identified position in a feedback control process in the processing unit to direct relative movement between the tire service tool and the secured vehicle wheel assembly.

12. The method of claim 11 for operating a vehicle tire changing system further including the steps of communicating said acquired image data to said processing unit for processing;

and

communicating movement commands from said processing unit to said tire service tool or secured vehicle wheel assembly.

13. The method of claim 11 for operating a vehicle tire changing system wherein said processing unit directs relative movement between the tire service tool and the secured vehicle wheel assembly is achieved by controlling movement of the tire service tool.

14. An improved vehicle tire changing system having a processing unit, a support structure to secure a vehicle wheel assembly during a vehicle tire changing procedure, and a tire service tool for operatively engaging a secured vehicle wheel assembly, the improvement comprising:

a first sensor assembly configured to acquire position data associated with the position of said tire service tool, and operatively coupled to the processing unit for communicating said position data thereto;

a second sensor assembly configured to acquire spatial data associated with a vehicle wheel assembly secured to the support structure, said additional sensor assembly operatively coupled to the processing unit for communicating said spatial data thereto;

wherein said processing unit is configured to utilize said communicated position data associated with said tire service tool and said communicated spatial data associated with said vehicle wheel assembly to automate relative movement between the tire service tool and the vehicle wheel assembly.

15. The improved vehicle tire changing system of claim 14 wherein said first sensor assembly and said second sensor assembly each include at least one sensor selected from a set of sensors including a potentiometer, a hall effect sensor, a rotary encoder, an optical slide, a magnetic slide, and LVDT, or a resistive sensor.

16. The improved vehicle tire changing system of claim 14 wherein said processing unit automates said relative movement by controlling movement of said tire service tool.

17. An improved vehicle tire changing system having a processing unit, a support structure to secure a vehicle wheel assembly during a vehicle tire changing procedure, and a tire service tool for operatively engaging a secured vehicle wheel assembly, the improvement comprising:

a sensor assembly configured to acquire spatial data associated with a vehicle wheel assembly secured to the support structure, said sensor assembly operatively coupled to the processing unit for communicating said spatial data thereto; and

wherein said processing unit is configured to utilize said communicated spatial data associated said vehicle wheel assembly to automate operative engagement between the vehicle wheel assembly and said tire service tool.

18. The improved vehicle tire changing system of claim 17 wherein said processing unit is configure to automate movement of said tire service tool.

19. The improved vehicle tire changing system of claim 17 wherein said processing unit is configured to automate movement of the vehicle wheel assembly.

20. The improved vehicle tire changing system of claim 17 wherein the processing unit is further configured to utilize said spatial position data to alter a configuration of at least one component of the improved vehicle tire changing system.

21. A method for automating an operation of a vehicle tire changing system having a processing unit, a support structure to secure a vehicle wheel assembly during a vehicle tire changing procedure, and an tire service tool for operatively engaging a secured vehicle wheel assembly including at least a wheel rim secured by the vehicle tire changing system during service of a vehicle wheel assembly, comprising the steps of:

acquiring position data associated with the tire service tool for operatively engaging the secured vehicle wheel assembly;

acquiring spatial position data associated with a feature of the secured vehicle wheel assembly;

controlling relative movement between the tire service tool and the vehicle wheel assembly such that the tire service tool operatively engages the secured vehicle wheel assembly utilizing said acquired position data associated with the tire service tool and said acquired spatial position data associated with a feature of said secured vehicle wheel assembly.