Tyre changing apparatus and method for removing a tyre from a corresponding wheel rim
AssigneeCorghi S.p.A.
InventorGiulio Corghi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tire changing apparatus for removing a tire from a corresponding rim of a wheel, comprising a frame having a supporting element configured to support the wheel rotatably about an axis of rotation, a bead breaker tool associated with the frame and movable towards and away from the supporting element along a movement direction, an actuator connected to the tool in order to move the latter along the movement direction and control means connected to the actuator. The control means comprise a processor which is set up to receive data representing a curve of the feed speed of the bead breaker tool towards the supporting element and which is programmed to identify a position of contact of the tool with the tire as a function of a deceleration of the bead breaker tool.
Claims17
A tyre changing apparatus for removing a tyre from a corresponding rim of a wheel, comprising:
- a frame having a supporting element configured to support the wheel rotatably about an axis of rotation;
- a bead breaker tool associated with the frame and movable towards and away from the supporting element along a movement direction parallel to the axis of rotation;
- an actuator connected to the bead breaker tool in order to move the latter along the movement direction from a first position, away from the supporting element and to the tyre, and a second position, proximal to the supporting element and to the tyre, wherein the first and second positions are spaced apart along the movement direction parallel to the axis of rotation;
- control means for automatically positioning the bead breaker tool, the control means being connected to the actuator,
- wherein the control means comprises a processor which is set up to receive input data representing a curve of the speed of the bead breaker tool during its movement towards the supporting element along the movement direction from the first position to the second position and which is programmed to process that data in order to identify a position of contact of the bead breaker tool with the tyre as a function of a deceleration of the bead breaker tool, wherein the processor is programmed to automatically disable the actuator, in response to the identification of a contact position of the bead breaker tool with respect to the tyre, to arrange the bead breaker tool in the contact position wherein the bead breaker tool is positioned on a flank of the tyre, but radially offset from the bead and from the rim, as a function of said input data representing a curve of the speed of the bead breaker tool during its movement towards the supporting element along the movement direction and as a function of a threshold value contained in a memory of the apparatus, wherein the contact position is identified in response to a drop of the speed of the bead breaker tool below said threshold value, wherein the processor is programmed to monitor the speed curve of the bead breaker tool until said speed drop occurs.
A tyre changing method for removing a tyre from a respective rim, comprising the following steps:
- positioning the wheel on a supporting element in such a way that it rotates about its axis of rotation;
- moving a bead breaker tool towards the wheel along a movement direction, parallel to the axis of rotation, from a first position, away from the supporting element and to the tyre, and a second position, proximal to the supporting element and to the tyre, until it intercepts the wheel, wherein the first and second positions are spaced apart along the movement direction parallel to the axis of rotation;
- detecting input data representing a curve of bead breaker tool feed speed towards the wheel from the first position to the second position;
- identifying a position of contact of the bead breaker tool with the tyre as a function of the speed curve of the bead breaker tool and as a function of a memorized threshold value, wherein the contact position is identified in response to a drop of the speed of the bead breaker tool below said threshold value, by monitoring the speed curve of the bead breaker tool until said speed drop occurs;
- arresting automatically, in response to the identifying step, the bead breaker tool in the contact position wherein the bead breaker tool is positioned on a flank of the tyre and radially offset from the bead and from the rim, as a function of said input data representing a curve of the speed of the bead breaker tool during its movement towards the supporting element along the movement direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.