Autonomous tire and wheel balancer, method therefor and robotic automotive service system
AssigneeAutomated Tire, Inc.
InventorsAndy Chalofsky, Josh Chalofsky, Faron Schonfeld, Stephen Toebes, Nicholas Efthimiades, James Parker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle component balancing method for on vehicle balancing of one or more of a tire, a wheel, bearings, brake components, and vehicle components that impart vibrations to the vehicle.
Claims27
A method for balancing a tire wheel assembly of a vehicle, the vehicle having a wheel hub, the tire wheel assembly being removably mountable to the wheel hub, the tire wheel assembly having an axis of rotation and being rotatable about the axis of rotation, the method comprising the steps of:
- conducting a first spin test on the tire wheel assembly, the first spin test including the sub-steps of:
- effecting a first at least one rotation of the tire wheel assembly about its axis of rotation while the tire wheel assembly is mounted to the wheel hub;
- measuring with one or more sensors a first imbalance condition of the vehicle during the first at least one rotation of the tire wheel assembly, the first imbalance condition being indicative of a first static imbalance and a first dynamic imbalance of the tire wheel assembly, the one or more sensors generating a first imbalance signal in response to the measured first imbalance condition of the vehicle;
- and
- processing the first imbalance signal to determine a respective magnitude and direction of each of the first static imbalance and the first dynamic imbalance of the tire wheel assembly;
- determining one or more locations on the tire wheel assembly to affix one or more tire balancing weights and the respective weight of the one or more tire balancing weights to affix to the one or more locations to at least partially offset the respective magnitude and direction of each of the first static imbalance and the first dynamic imbalance of the tire wheel assembly;
- and
- affixing the one or more tire balancing weights to the one or more locations on the tire wheel assembly.
A method for balancing a tire wheel assembly of a vehicle, the vehicle having a wheel hub, the tire wheel assembly being removably mountable to the wheel hub, the tire wheel assembly having an axis of rotation and being rotatable about the axis of rotation, the method comprising the steps of:
- conducting a first spin test on the tire wheel assembly, the first spin test including the sub-steps of:
- effecting a first at least one rotation of the tire wheel assembly about its axis of rotation while the tire wheel assembly is mounted to the wheel hub;
- measuring with one or more sensors a first imbalance condition of the vehicle during the first at least one rotation of the tire wheel assembly, the first imbalance condition being indicative of at least one of a first static imbalance and a first dynamic imbalance of the tire wheel assembly, the one or more sensors generating a first imbalance signal in response to the measured first imbalance condition of the vehicle;
- and
- processing the first imbalance signal and comparing the first imbalance signal to one or more known imbalance signals stored in an imbalance signal database to provide a first comparison thereof;
- determining one or more locations on the tire wheel assembly to affix one or more tire balancing weights and the respective weight of the one or more tire balancing weights to affix to the one or more locations based on the first comparison of the first imbalance signal to the one or more known imbalance signals to at least partially offset the at least one of the first static imbalance and the first dynamic imbalance of the tire wheel assembly;
- and
- affixing the one or more tire balancing weights to the one or more locations on the tire wheel assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.