Wheel service machine and method for locking a wheel to a wheel-holder unit

A wheel balancer, for performing operations on a wheel having a rim and a tyre, comprising:

• a shaft rotating about a longitudinal axis, designed to rotatably support the wheel;
• a contact element, connected to the shaft for rotating integrally with it and designed to make contact with the rim supported by the shaft;
• a locking device, which can be removably coupled to the shaft to slide along the longitudinal axis of the shaft between an active position, close to the contact element, for locking the rim interposed between the contact element and the locking device, and a position away from the contact element, of non-interference with the rim;
• a fastening element movably connected to the shaft for moving along the shaft, for coupling with the locking device and dragging it in movement;
• an actuator positioned on the machine and connected to the fastening element, wherein the locking device comprises an emitter configured to generate a wireless control signal, and wherein the machine comprises a wireless signal receiver designed to drive the actuator in response to the wireless control signal.

A locking device for locking a wheel, equipped with a rim and a tyre, on a rotary shaft of a wheel service machine, wherein the machine has:

• a contact element, which is integral with the shaft to make contact with the rim;
• a fastening element movably connected to the shaft for coupling with the locking device and pulling it in movement;
• an actuator positioned on the machine and connected to the fastening element, wherein the locking device is without an actuator, is elongate in a longitudinal direction and comprises:
• a contact surface, positioned transversally to the longitudinal direction and designed to make contact with the rim interposed between the contact element and the locking device and fix the rim to the shaft;
• a coupling and guide surface, cylindrical in shape, designed for coupling with the shaft;
• a fastening structure, designed for coupling with the fastening element and allowing a pulling of the locking device along the shaft, an emitter designed to generate a wireless control signal, which can be received by a wireless signal receiver on the machine to actuate the actuator.

A method for locking a wheel, having a rim and a tyre, on a shaft of a machine for servicing the wheel, wherein the shaft rotates about a relative longitudinal axis, comprising the following steps:

• coupling the rim to the shaft;
• coupling to the shaft a locking device, in such a way that the rim is interposed between the locking device and a contact element which is integral with the shaft and designed to make contact with the rim;
• activating an actuator means positioned on the machine and connected to a fastening element connected to the shaft, for moving the fastening element longitudinally along the shaft and intercepting the locking device for locking the rim against the contact element, wherein the step of activating the actuator comprises the steps of:
• generating a wireless control signal using an emitter, connected to the locking device;
• and
• receiving the wireless control signal using a wireless signal receiver designed to activate the actuator in response to the wireless control signal.