# US 2012/0073764 A1 · Robotic Weight Apply Station

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- Number: US 2012/0073764 A1
- Document ID: US20120073764A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/103,755
- Filed: 2011-05-09
- Published: 2012-03-29
- Earliest claimed: 2007-10-02
- Assignees: Android Industries LLC
- Inventors: Lawrence J. Lawson; Robert Reece; Ramsey Richard Niazy
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20120073764A1

## CPC

- G01M 1/20: and applying external forces compensating forces due to imbalance
- G01M 1/326: {the body being a vehicle wheel}
- Y10S 901/47: Optical
- Y10T 29/49494: Assembling tire to wheel body
- Y10T 29/49828: Progressively advancing of work assembly station or assembled portion of work
- Y10T 29/53365: Multiple station assembly apparatus
- G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

An apparatus for processing a tire-wheel assembly comprising a single-cell workstation including a plurality of sub-stations. The plurality of sub-stations includes a weight application sub-station, and an audit balancing sub-station. The apparatus also includes a tire/wheel transporting device positioned within reach of all of the plurality of sub-stations. A method is also disclosed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for processing a tire-wheel assembly, comprising:
a single-cell workstation including
a plurality of sub-stations, wherein the plurality of sub-stations includes
a weight application sub-station, and
an audit balancing sub-station; and
a tire/wheel transporting device positioned within reach of all of the plurality of sub-stations.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the weight application sub-station defines:
means for providing one or more weights to an imbalanced tire-wheel assembly, wherein the audit balancing sub-station defines
means for determining if the imbalanced tire-wheel assembly has been substantially corrected in view of the one or more weights applied to the tire-wheel assembly.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tire/wheel transporting device defines:
means for moving one or more of a wheel and tire to/from each sub-station of the plurality of sub-stations.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tire/wheel transporting device includes:
a robotic arm.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the weight balancing sub-station includes:
one or more bins, wherein each of the one or more bins includes one or more weights, wherein the one or more weights in each of the one or more bins is/are defined by a unique weight value.

### Claim 6

An apparatus for processing a tire-wheel assembly, comprising:
a single-cell workstation including
a plurality of sub-stations, wherein the plurality of sub-stations includes
a preliminary balancing sub-station,
a weight application sub-station, and
an audit balancing sub-station; and
a tire/wheel transporting device positioned within reach of all of the plurality of sub-stations.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the preliminary balancing sub-station defines:
means for determining if the tire-wheel assembly is imbalanced, wherein the weight application sub-station defines
means for providing one or more weights to the imbalanced tire-wheel assembly, wherein the audit balancing sub-station defines
means for determining if the imbalance tire-wheel assembly has been substantially corrected in view of the one or more weights applied to the tire-wheel assembly.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the tire/wheel transporting device defines:
means for moving one or more of a wheel and tire to/from each sub-station of the plurality of sub-stations.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the tire/wheel transporting device includes:
a robotic arm.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of sub-stations includes one or more of:
a soaper sub-station;
a mounting/indexing sub-station; and
an inflating sub-station.

### Claim 11

An apparatus for processing a tire-wheel assembly, comprising:
a single-cell workstation including
a plurality of sub-stations, wherein the plurality of sub-stations includes
a balancer grounding sub-station, and
a weight application sub-station; and
a tire/wheel transporting device positioned within reach of all of the plurality of sub-stations.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the tire/wheel transporting device defines:
means for determining if the tire-wheel assembly is imbalanced, wherein the weight application sub-station defines
means for providing one or more weights to the imbalanced tire-wheel assembly, wherein the tire/wheel transporting device further defines
means for determining if the imbalance tire-wheel assembly has been substantially corrected in view of the one or more weights applied to the tire-wheel assembly.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein balancer grounding sub-station defines:
means for interfacing with the tire/wheel transporting device during the determining if the tire-wheel assembly is imbalanced and the determining if the imbalance tire-wheel assembly has been substantially corrected

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the tire/wheel transporting device defines:
means for moving one or more of a wheel and tire to/from each sub-station of the plurality of sub-stations.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the tire/wheel transporting device includes:
a robotic arm.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of sub-stations includes one or more of:
a soaper sub-station;
a mounting/indexing sub-station; and
an inflating sub-station.

### Claim 17

An apparatus for processing a tire-wheel assembly, comprising:
a first single-cell workstation including
a first plurality of sub-stations, wherein the first plurality of sub-stations includes
a preliminary balancing sub-station;
a first tire/wheel transporting device positioned within reach of all of the first plurality of sub-stations.
a second single-cell workstation including
a second plurality of sub-stations, wherein the second plurality of sub-stations includes
a weight application sub-station, and
an audit balancing sub-station;
a second tire/wheel transporting device positioned within reach of all of the second plurality of sub-stations; and
a conveying device that bridges the first and second single-cell workstations.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the first tire/wheel transporting device defines:
a first means for moving one or more of a wheel and tire to/from each sub-station of the first plurality of sub-stations, and, wherein the second tire/wheel transporting device defines
a second means for moving one or more of a wheel and tire to/from each sub-station of the second plurality of sub-stations.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the first plurality of sub-stations includes one or more of:
a soaper sub-station;
a mounting/indexing sub-station; and
an inflating sub-station.

### Claim 20

A method for processing a tire-wheel assembly, comprising the steps of:
providing a plurality of sub-stations of a single-cell workstation;
disposing a tire/wheel transporting device within reach of all of the plurality of sub-stations; and
moving the tire-wheel assembly to to/from each of the plurality of sub-stations for
providing one or more weights to an imbalanced tire-wheel assembly, and
auditing the tire-wheel assembly by
determining if the imbalanced tire-wheel assembly has been substantially corrected responsive to providing said one or more weights to the imbalanced tire-wheel assembly.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The method according to claim 20, wherein, subsequent to the determining step:
providing additional weight to the tire-wheel assembly, and
re-auditing the imbalanced tire-wheel for
re-determining if the imbalanced tire-wheel assembly has been substantially corrected.

### Claim 22 (depends on 20)

The method according to claim 20, wherein, subsequent to the re-determining step:
discharging the imbalanced tire-wheel assembly to a rework station of the plurality of sub-stations.

### Claim 23

A method for processing a tire-wheel assembly, comprising the steps of:
providing a plurality of sub-stations of a single-cell workstation;
disposing a tire/wheel transporting device within reach of all of the plurality of sub-stations; and
moving the tire-wheel assembly to to/from each of the plurality of sub-stations for
providing one or more weights to an imbalanced tire-wheel assembly, and
retaining the tire/wheel transporting device for permitting one or more of the steps of
determining if the tire-wheel assembly is imbalanced, and
auditing the tire-wheel assembly by
determining if the imbalanced tire-wheel assembly has been substantially corrected responsive to providing said one or more weights to the imbalanced tire-wheel assembly.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The method according to claim 23, wherein the tire/wheel transporting device includes:
an arm portion, and
a claw portion connected to the arm portion, wherein the determining if the tire-wheel assembly is imbalanced step and the auditing the tire-wheel assembly step is conducted by
retaining one of the tire and wheel with the claw portion, and
rotating the claw portion relative the arm portion.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The method according to claim 23, wherein, subsequent to the determining if the tire-wheel assembly is imbalanced step, further comprising the steps of:
providing additional weight to the tire-wheel assembly, and
re-auditing the imbalanced tire-wheel for
re-determining if the imbalanced tire-wheel assembly has been substantially corrected.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The method according to claim 25, wherein, subsequent to the re-determining step:
discharging the imbalanced tire-wheel assembly to a rework station of the plurality of sub-stations.

### Claim 27

A method of utilizing a single-cell workstation system, comprising the steps:
providing a first device including a robotic arm that assist in performing the steps of:
picking a wheel,
attaching a valve stem to the wheel,
orientating the wheel to index a TPM sensor,
soaping the wheel,
mounting a tire to the wheel in order to form a tire-wheel assembly,
imaging the tire-wheel assembly,
match-marking the tire-wheel assembly, and
auditing the match-marked tire-wheel assembly,
providing a second device including a robotic arm that assist in performing the steps of:
as a result of being handed-off from the first device, receiving the tire-wheel assembly at the second device,
inflating the tire-wheel assembly
proving a third device including a robotic arm that assist in performing the steps of:
as a result of being handed-off from the second device, receiving the inflated tire-wheel assembly at the third device,
testing a uniformity of the tire mounted to the wheel,
balancing the tire-wheel assembly,
applying a weight to the tire-wheel assembly,
auditing the balanced and weight-applied tire-wheel assembly.