NL1040989B1

NL1040989B1 - Tire wheel assembly station.

Info

Publication number: NL1040989B1
Application number: NL1040989A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Kramer Roebert
Original assignee: Fontijne Grotnes B V
Priority date: 2014-10-09
Filing date: 2014-10-09
Publication date: 2016-10-04
Also published as: WO2016056915A1

Abstract

A tire wheel assembly station for mounting a tire on a wheel, comprising a table arranged for receiving a wheel; a revolution mechanism provided above the table at a distance thet·eto, arranged for letting a thereto coupled downward directed arm perform a revolving motion; wherein a free end of the arm, directed towards the table, comprises a gripping part for gripping behind a tire bead, so that during the revolving motion of the arm, the gripping part revolves along the tire bead in order to mount the tire on the wheel; wherein the revolution mechanism comprises a XY-displacement device whereto the arm is attached.

Description

Title: Tire wheel assembly station

The invention relates to a tire wheel assembly station for mounting a tire onto a wheel.

Tire wheel assembly stations are known and are commonly used in wheel assembly lines to fit a tire onto a wheel. Typically, the tire wheel assembly station comprises a table arranged for receiving a wheel and a rotating arm comprising a disc that fits behind a tire bead. The free end of the arm then rotates along the tire bead of the tire such that the disc runs along the tire bead for mounting the tire onto the wheel. To rotate the arm a rather complex rotating mechanism is provided at the upper end of the arm. The arm can swivel around its upper end and needs to follow the diameter of the tire bead. For wheels of a different diameter, the diameter on which the free end of the arm has to rotate to fit the tire onto the wheel needs to be set. This means that the diameter on which the upper end of the arm rotates is set, and is different for different wheel diameters. Hydraulic and/or electrical cables thus must go from stationary to the rotating and swiveling arm, requiring complex transition mechanisms. The rotating and swiveling mechanism of the arm is thus relatively complex, relatively heavy and sensitive to leakage and/or failure,

It is an object of the invention to provide for a more robust tire wheel assembly station. In an aspect, a tire wheel assembly station that may be less complex may be aimed for.

Thereto, a tire wheel assembly station according to claim 1 is provided.

By providing a tire wheel assembly station wherein the revolution mechanism is a XY-displacement device, the revolving movement of the arm can be achieved by translational displacements only. So, a complex system to transmit the electrical and/or hydraulic cables from a stationary system to a rotating system can be obviated. Also, setting of the arm on the corresponding wheel diameter may become simpler, since this may become a parameter to be set in the control system of the XY-displacement device. Contrary to the prior art device, in which the setting of the radial position of the arm to correspond with the wheel diameter may be quite complex, this setting may be much simpler. In the prior art devices, the mechanism to set the diameter of the arm in correspondence with the wheel diameter, revolves together with the arm, requiring complex electrical and/or hydraulic connection. This also may result in a relatively heavy top structure to also carry the diameter setting mechanism. According to an aspect of the invention, the diameter on which the arm may revolve corresponding with the wheel diameter, is being set in the control system. The control system then translates this setting to XY-coordinates and thus a revolving movement of the arm can be obtained by input of XY-coordinates to the XY-displacement device. So, a relatively complex and heavy structure to set the diameter and/or to revolve the arm may be obviated. The tire wheel assembly station according to an aspect of the invention may thus have less components, may be less complex, may have less weight thereby reducing risk on failure and/or hydraulic leakage etc., so a more robust system may be obtained.

Advantageously, the XY-displacement device comprises a carriage that is translatable in the X-direction and in the Y-direction. According to an aspect of the invention, the arm is connected to the carriage. So, a revolving movement of the arm can be obtained by inputting XY-coordinates to the XY-displacement device. Since translating a carriage in two directions is more simple than revolving an arm together with a diameter setting device, as in the prior art, a significant simplification of the tire mounting system may be obtained.

Preferably, the gripping part of the arm is adjustable during the revolving movement of the arm, such that an outer side of the gripping part faces outwardly during the revolving movement. When an outer side of the gripping part faces outwardly during the revolving movement, the gripping part remains in an approximately constant position with respect to the tire bead, so a more firm gripping of the tire bead during the revolving movement may be obtained which may facilitate the mounting of the tire bead onto a rim of the wheel.

The gripping part may have various configurations, e.g. a wheel, or a ball, or a finger, or a lip, etc. Many variants are possible. Advantageously, the gripping part may follow the tire bead during the revolving movement to mount the tire bead onto the rim of the wheel.

The gripping part may be adjustable with respect to the arm, e.g. the gripping part may be rotatable around the arm. In another embodiment, the gripping part may be adjustable together with a section of the arm to which the gripping part is connected. For example, the section of the arm may be rotatable arranged around its central axis, so when rotating the section of the arm around the central axis, the gripping part is adjusted as well. In another embodiment, the arm may be rotatable around its central axis so the gripping part may follow the rotation of the arm during the revolving movement. The gripping part may then be fixedly connected to the arm, or to the rotatable section of the arm, so that a rotation of the arm results in an adjustment of the gripping part

In an advantageous embodiment, the gripping part is adjustable by a passive adjustment mechanism. For example, the between a revolving center and the gripping part, an extendible element may be provided. Due to the driven revolving movement of the arm, and the gripping part running on the tire bead, the gripping part can be adjusted via lengthening and/or shortening of the extendible element. The extendible element may be a rod comprising an inner and an outer sleeve slidable over each other, or may be a cable wound around a pulley, or may be a spring, etc. Many variants may be possible.

Further advantageous embodiments are represented in the subclaims.

The invention further relates to a method for assembling a tire onto a wheel.

The invention will further be elucidated on the basis of exemplary embodiments which are represented in a drawing. The exemplary embodiments are given by way of non-limitative illustration.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a schematical perspective view of a tire wheel assembly station;

Fig. 2 shows a schematical perspective view of a XY-displacement device comprising an arm; and

Fig. 3 shows a schematical perspective view of an arm of an XY-displacement device.

It is noted that the figures are only schematic representations of embodiments of the invention that are given by way of non-limiting example. In the figures, the same or corresponding parts are designated with the same reference numerals.

Figure 1 schematically shows a tire wheel assembly station 1. The tire wheel assembly station comprises a table 2 arranged for receiving a wheel 3. Typically, the wheel 3 is positioned on the table 2 such that the central axis of the wheel 3 is directed upwardly, i.e. transverse with respect to the table 2. At the tire wheel assembly station 1, a tire 4 is being mounted onto the wheel 3 to form a tire wheel assembly. Thereto, the tire wheel assembly station 1 comprises a revolution mechanism 5 and an arm 6. The revolution mechanism 5 is arranged to move the arm 6 in a revolving movement.

The revolution mechanism 5 is provided above the table 2, at a distance thereto. The arm 6 is coupled to the revolution mechanism 5 with an upper end 6a and is downwardly directed towards the table 2. An opposite free end 6b of the arm 6 is situated near the table 2.

The free end 6b of the arm 6 comprises a gripping part 7 for gripping behind a tire bead 4a of the tire 4. The gripping part 7 may be a ball, or a disc, or a finger, etc. or any other part that may fit at, on or behind the tire bead 4a. When running the gripping part 7 along the tire bead 4a, the tire 4 can be mounted onto the wheel 3. Preferably, also a spoon is provided to keep the tire down, while running the gripping part 7 along the tire bead 4a. For reasons of simplicity, the spoon is not shown in the drawing.

The revolution mechanism 5 is arranged to drive the arm 6 in a revolving motion along the tire bead on the diameter of the rim of the wheel 3. So, for a different rim diameter, the diameter setting of the revolving path of the arm 6 may be adapted. Thereto, a control system may be provided that may adapt the diameter setting automatically, e.g. after prior measurement of the rim diameter, or into which the diameter setting may be inputted, e.g. manually for each run of wheels having the same diameter.

The revolution mechanism 5 here comprises a XY-displacement device 8, as shown in figure 2. The XY-displacement device 8 comprises a carriage 9 to which the arm 6 is attached. The arm 6 is attached with its upper end 6a to the carriage 9. The XY-displacement device 8 further comprises two rails 10 arranged in a first direction X at a distance D from each other, a first rail 10a and a second rail 10b. In the embodiment shown in figure 2 here, two rails are shown to provide for the displacement in the first direction. Alternatively, a single rail may be used, or more than two rails, e.g. three or four rails may be used.

Over the rails 10 of the first direction a third rail 11 is arranged in a second direction Y, transverse with respect to the first direction. The first and the second direction X, Y may be perpendicular to each other, as the axes of a Cartesian coordinate system.

The third rail 11 is arranged to translate over the first and second rails 10a, 10b. The first and second rails 10a, 10b may be provided with a toothed profile, such as a rack, over which a pinion or a spindle may run. Many variants may be possible, e.g. alternatively a belt or chain or a rope may be used for displacement in the X and/or Y direction.

The carriage 9 may also be translatable arranged onto the third rail 11, e.g. via a rack and pinion mechanism or a spindle, or a belt or chain connection etc.

The revolution mechanism 5 may be driven by a motor, for simplicity reasons not shown in the drawing. The motor may be a single motor to drive the third rail 11 and the carriage 9. Since only translational movements occur, complex transitions from stationary motion to a rotational motion, as in the prior art, can be obviated. The electrical and/or hydraulic cabling can follow the translational motion only, which may significantly simplify the revolution mechanism 5. Alternatively, two motors may be provided, a first motor to drive the third rail 11 to drive the third rail 11 over the first and second rails 10. Also a second motor may be provided in the carriage 9 to drive the carriage 9 over the third rail 11. Also in this embodiment, complex transition systems may be obviated since there is only a translational movement of the third rail and of the carriage.

By providing the XY-displacement device 8, a revolving movement of the arm 6 can be obtained by translating motions only. The revolving movement of the arm 6 may preferably be a movement along a circle with a center equal to the center of the wheel. Since a circle can be described by xy-coordinates in a Cartesian coordinate system, it may be possible to move the arm along a circle with translational motions only in two transverse directions. This may significantly simplify the revolution mechanism and a more robust revolution mechanism may be obtained. The revolution mechanism 5 may have less components, may be less heavy, etc.

By providing the XY-displacement device 8, it may become simpler to set the diameter of the rim and/or the diameter of the revolving movement to be followed by the arm 6. It now may be a relatively simple setting of the corresponding xy-coordinates.

Advantageously, the gripping part 7 of the arm 6 follows the tire bead 4a during the revolving motion of the arm 6. In an embodiment, an outer side 7a of the gripping part 7 faces outwardly during the revolving motion. The gripping part 7 may thus be arranged adjustable with respect to a longitudinal axis L of the arm 6. In the configuration shown, the longitudinal axis L extends transverse with respect to the xy-plane of the xy-displacement device 8, as well as transverse with respect to the table 2.

In an embodiment, the gripping part 7 itself may be adjustable with respect to the longitudinal axis L, in another embodiment the arm 6 together with the gripping part 7 may be rotatable around the longitudinal axis L, in another embodiment, a section of the arm 6 to which the gripping part 7 may be attached, may be rotatable around the longitudinal axis L.

Adjustment of the gripping part 7 may be provided by an adjustment mechanism 12. The adjustment mechanism 12 may be an active adjustment mechanism, e.g. an actuator or a motor or a hydraulic cylinder, etc. that may adjust the position of the gripping part 7 during the revolving movement. The active adjustment mechanism 12 may be an actuator provided at the upper end 6a of the arm 6 to actuate the gripping part 7 during the revolving movement such that an outer side 7a of the gripping part 7 may face outwardly during the revolving movement. Alternatively, the actuator may be positioned inside the arm 6 at a lower end 6b thereof to directly drive the gripping part 7. Further, a control system may be provided to control the actuator during the revolving movement of the arm 6. For example, a control system may be provided which is dependent on the main control system for controlling the revolving movement of the arm 6.

Alternatively, the main control system controlling the arm, may also control the gripping part 7. Many variants are possible.

The adjustment mechanism 12 may be a passive adjustment mechanism, as for example shown in the drawing. The passive adjustment mechanism 12 is here embodied as an extendible elongate element 13 that is arranged between a revolving center C and the upper end 6a of the arm 6. The extendible element 13 may for example comprise inner and an outer sleeve slidably arranged with respect to each other, or may be a cable mounted on a self-tightening pulley, or may be a spring, or a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder, etc. In figure 3, the passive adjustment mechanism 12 comprises an elongate element 13, here embodied as a rod, that is slidable in a holding part 14. The holding part 14 is positioned in the center C of the revolving movement. As such, when moving the arm 6 along the tire bead 4a in a revolving movement, the rod 13 is moved in and out of the holding part 14 to adjust the position of the gripping part 7. The rod 13 may be connected to the gripping part 7 via various connecting structures, such as cables, rods, gears, pulleys, etc. Many variants are possible.

In the embodiment shown in figures 1, 2 and 3, a section of the arm 6 to which the gripping part 7 is attached is rotatable with respect to the longitudinal axis L. In this embodiment, the rotatable section of the arm corresponds with the lower end 6b of the arm 6. This section, i.e. the lower end 6b, may be rotatable mounted with respect to the upper end 6a of the arm 6. The elongate element 13 may then, e.g. via a coupling rod or any other coupling system, be connected to the lower end 6b of the arm 6 such that rotation of the lower end 6a of the arm 6 may result in a variation, lengthening or shortening, of the elongate element 13 and vice versa. Advantageously, the position of the gripping part 7 is fixed with respect to the arm 6. By rotating of the lower end 6a of the arm 6 around its central longitudinal axis L, the position of the gripping part 7 may be adjusted as well, preferably such that the outer side 7a of the gripping part 7 faces outwardly during the revolving movement.

In another embodiment, the adjustment mechanism is directly connected to the gripping part 7 and the gripping part 7 is adjustable around the arm 6. The position of the gripping part 7 thus is adjusted with respect to the arm 6 and the gripping part may move around the circumference of the arm. The adjustment mechanism may comprise an extendible element 13 coupled between the revolving center C and the upper end of the arm 6 or the carriage 9, from there a connection to the gripping part 7, preferably through the arm 6, may be provided to adjust the position of the gripping part with respect to the arm.

In an alternative embodiment, the position of the gripping part 7 with respect to the arm may be fixed, while the arm 6 is rotatable arranged around the longitudinal axis L.

Of course, other adjustment mechanisms may be provided, e.g. a motor arranged in the carriage to induce rotational motion of the lower end of the arm and/or of the gripping part.

The revolving center C is preferably coincident with the center of the wheel 3. The arm 6 and thus the gripping part 7 are performing a revolving movement around the revolving center C to fit the tire 4 onto the wheel 3. Advantageously, the revolving center C may be the center of the circle the arm 6, and the gripping part 7, describe.

The gripping part 7 may be fixed to the arm 6 where the arm 6 is rotatable around its longitudinal axis. The gripping part 7 may itself be adjustable with respect to the arm 6 when the arm 6 is rotationally fixed. The gripping part 7 may be embodied as a disc, as shown in the figures 1 and 2. The disc 7 has an outer side 7a which may face outwardly during the revolving movement. The disc 7 may also be rotatable arranged around its own central axis A, such that the disc 7 may roll in the tire bead during the mounting of the tire onto the wheel.

For the purpose of clarity and a concise description features are described herein as part of the same or separate embodiments, however, it will be appreciated that the scope of the invention may include embodiments having combinations of all or some of the features described.

Many variants will be apparent to the person skilled in the art. All variants are understood to be comprised within the scope of the invention defined in the following claims.

Claims

A tire-wheel mounting station for mounting a tire on a wheel, comprising: - a table adapted to receive a wheel; - a circulating mechanism provided at a distance above the table and adapted to cause a downwardly directed arm coupled thereto to make a circulating movement; - wherein a free end of the arm facing the table comprises a gripping part for hooking behind a heel of the tire, so that when the arm is circulating the gripping part rotates along the heel of the tire to mount the tire on the wheel; - wherein the bypass mechanism comprises an XY displacement device to which the arm is attached.

The tire-wheel mounting station according to claim 1, wherein the XY displacement device comprises a carriage that is translatable in the X direction and in the Y direction to which the arm is attached.

Tire-wheel mounting station according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gripping part is adjustable around a longitudinal axis of the arm, so that an outside of the gripping part is directed outwards during the circulation movement.

A tire-wheel mounting station as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a part of the arm to which the gripping part is connected is rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the arm.

A tire-wheel mounting station according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the arm is rotatable about its longitudinal axis.

A tire-wheel mounting station according to any one of the preceding claims, further provided with an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the gripping part during the circulation movement, so that an outside of the gripping part is directed outwards.

The tire-wheel mounting station according to claim 6, wherein the adjusting mechanism is a passive adjusting mechanism comprising an extensible element arranged between a center of rotation of the bypass mechanism and the gripping member, for adjusting the gripping member during the bypass movement.

A tire-wheel mounting station according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the gripping member comprises a disc for gripping behind the bead of the tire.

The tire-wheel mounting station according to claim 8, wherein the disc is rotatable about its own central axis relative to the arm.

A tire-wheel mounting station as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a control system for controlling the movement of the XY displacement device.

A method for mounting a tire on a wheel, comprising: - providing a wheel on a table; - feeding the tire and placing the tire over the wheel; - grabbing a heel of the tire with a free end of an arm of a tire-wheel mounting station; - turning the end of the arm along the heel of the tire so as to mount the tire on the wheel; - wherein the circulation movement of the arm is effected by means of an XY displacement device.