Vehicle wheel changing method
AssigneeTechnological Resources Pty. Limited
InventorJohn Calvi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for changing a vehicle wheel held to the vehicle by nuts and retainer cleats comprising: using a mobile robot for removal and replacement of the wheel nuts and retainer cleats in combination with the use of a mobile mechanical wheel handler to grip and remove the wheel and to bring a replacement wheel into position before replacement of the wheel nuts and cleats by the robot.
Claims45
A method for changing a vehicle wheel held to the vehicle by nuts and retainer cleats comprising:
- using a mobile robot for removal and replacement of the wheel nuts and retainer cleats in combination with the use of a mobile mechanical wheel handler to grip and remove the wheel and to bring a replacement wheel into position before replacement of the wheel nuts and cleats by the robot.
A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein on removal each nut and cleat is deposited by the robot at an individual storage location unique to that nut or cleat and for replacement each nut and cleat is retrieved by the robot from the respective storage location.
A method for changing a vehicle wheel held to the vehicle by nuts and retainer cleats, comprising:
- laser scanning the wheel to identify the positions of the wheel nuts and retainer cleats;
- operating a mobile robot to remove the wheel nuts and retainer cleats;
- operating a mechanical wheel handler to remove the wheel and to replace it with a replacement wheel;
- and
- operating the mobile robot to replace the wheel retainer cleats and the nuts.
A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the robot is mounted on a self-propelled and steerable vehicle.
Robotic apparatus comprising:
- a moveable vehicle;
- a robot carried by the vehicle and comprising a tool manipulator;
- a scanner tool manipulable by the tool manipulator and operable by the robot to identify a set of features at locations within a target range from the vehicle;
- and
- a specific task tool manipulable by the tool manipulator and operable by the robot repetitively to perform a specific task at a plurality of said locations.
Robotic apparatus for robotically performing specific tasks required in a vehicle wheel changing operation, comprising a moveable vehicle positionable in the vicinity of a vehicle wheel to be removed;
- a robot carried by the vehicle and comprising a tool manipulator;
- a laser scanner tool manipulable by the tool manipulator and operable by the robot to identify a set of wheel retainer nuts and wheel retainer cleats on the wheel and to determine the locations of the nuts and cleats;
- and
- one or more specific task tools manipulable by the tool manipulator and operable by the robot to remove the nuts and cleats from the wheel.
A location sensing system for detecting the locations of wheel retaining nuts and/or cleats on a vehicle wheel, comprising;
- a laser distance measuring device;
- and
- a manipulator to move the laser distance measuring device in a two way scan to identify the plane of the wheel rim and an arcuate scan to identify the angular orientations of the nuts and/or cleats.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.