Wheelwright machines – Miscellaneous
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-01
2004-01-13
Smith, James G. (Department: 3723)
Wheelwright machines
Miscellaneous
C157S001170, C157S001200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06675857
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to a method of assembling a tire assembly having a tire fitted to a disk wheel for use in automobiles and the like including snug fitting for making the fit between the tire and the disk wheel rim tight, and to a refitting apparatus for use in the sung fitting.
As shown in
FIG. 8
, a tire assembly is made in a series of steps; tire and wheel are fitted together, inflated with air, and subjected to a snug fitting process and to a balance correction process. The snug fit is checked by sampling inspection, and a snug fitting apparatus including means for making measurement-judgment immediately after the snug fitting process as shown in
FIG. 9
has been proposed by the present inventors. Through such a series of processes including the measurement-judgment, the snug fit state is assured for all the tire assemblies, and so the tire assemblies of good quality can be provided.
The current circumstances of the snug fitting are as follows.
The tire assembly made by fitting the tire to the disk wheel and being filled with air exhibits slight unbalance in mass distribution due to variation in the tire dimensions, rigidity, weight distribution, true circle accuracy of the disk wheel, and the state of fit between both of the components, which causes vibration and adversely affects riding comfort and maneuverability when a vehicle is driven. Therefore, various measures are taken to solve the problem of the unbalance, especially to reduce the magnitude of variation in the radial force (RFV).
Here, the state of fit between the tire and wheel is settled when air is injected to inflate the tire to a specified shape at the time of assembling the tire. However, in some cases the air injection only is not sufficient to produce a snug and stabilized state of fit, and unbalance may result. Therefore, a process of correcting the incomplete fit between tire and rim is employed in which a lateral force that can occur during actual vehicle run is applied in advance to the tire assembly to make the fit between tire and rim snug. As means for performing such a snug fitting process, there is one constituted to press a roller against the ground contact surface area of a rotating tire assembly to apply a lateral force to that area (Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 2553192).
As described above, a snug fitting process apparatus has been proposed with which the ground contact surface moving along its entire circumference of the tire assembly is pressed to improve the snugly fit state between the wheel and tire so that the vibration due to non-uniform fit state between the rim and tire is prevented from occurring. However, an inspection on tire assemblies having undergone the snug fitting proves that the fit state of same of the tire assemblies is not at a permissible level. Such tire assemblies need refitting, but the refitting is inefficient for the following reasons: the refitting must be performed using an apparatus provided outside the assembly line or manually and thus takes considerable effort; and there must be a maintenance worker on duty at all times. Also, an apparatus has been proposed by the present inventors with which the RFV (magnitude of variation in the radial force) of all the produces can be checked inline and the trend is toward a system capable of providing high-quality tire assemblies which can provide riding comfort. Then, in accordance with this trend, a demand for a snug fitting process suitable for one hundred percent inspection is increasing. The one hundred percent inspection is proposed to assure high quality, so that the permissible level of the RFV is high. Thus, to realize the system shown in
FIG. 9
with efficiency, effective snug fitting means with which the snug fitting can be performed inline is highly demanded.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide snug fitting means with which snug fitting can be performed for every tire assembly inline and which can further lower the RFV value of tire assemblies.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided, in a method of assembling a tire assembly comprising a disk wheel provided with a pair of first and second engaging rims, and a tire fitted to said disk wheel and having a pair of first and second side walls from which a pair of first and second tire bead rims extend, respectively, for releasably engaging said first and second engaging rims, respectively, a refit process comprising:
(a) a first pressing step of bringing said first tire bead rim of said tire into pressing contact with said first engaging rim of said disk wheel;
(b) a first pressure releasing step of releasing the pressing contact between said first bead rim of said tire and said first engaging rim of said disk wheel;
(c) a second pressing step of bringing said second tire bead rim of said tire into pressing contact with said second engaging rim of said disk wheel; and
(d) a second pressure releasing step of releasing the pressing contact between said second bead rim of said tire and said second engaging rim of said disk wheel.
A series of the above steps (a) through (d) may be conducted once or at least two times.
In this method of assembling tire assembly, the pressing step of bringing the tire bead rim of the tire into pressing contact with the engaging rim of the disk wheel and the releasing step of releasing the pressing contact of the tire bead rim of the tire with the engaging rim of the disk wheel are successively repeated. Thereby, the tire bead rims of the tire snugly fit and closely contact with the engaging rims of the disk wheel. Since the tire bead rims of the tire are repeatedly pressed against the engaging rims of the disk wheel and released therefrom, the tire bead rims of the tire snugly fit with the engaging rims of the disk wheel, so that the RFV value is considerably lowered. Thus, stable maneuverability during driving can be obtained unless the fitting state is subsequently changed.
In another aspect, the present invention provides, in a method of assembling a tire assembly comprising a disk wheel provided with a pair of first and second engaging rims, and a tire fitted to said disk wheel and having a pair of first and second side walls from which a pair of first and second tire bead rims extend, respectively, for releasably engaging said first and second engaging rims, respectively, a refit process comprising:
(a) a first pressing step including pressing said first side wall of said tire from outside to form a first gap between the first tire bead rim of said tire and said first engaging rim of said disk wheel, and injecting air through said first gap to bring said second tire bead rim of said tire into pressing contact with said second engaging rim of said disk wheel,
(b) a first pressure releasing step of releasing air from said tire through said first gap,
(c) a first releasing step of pressing said second side wall of said tire from outside to release said second tire bead rim of said tire from said second engaging rim of said disk wheel and to form a second gap between the second tire bead rim of said tire and said second engaging rim of said disk wheel,
(d) a second pressing step including bringing said first tire bead rim of said tire into contact with said first engaging rim of said disk wheel, and injecting air through said second gap to bring said first tire bead rim of said tire into pressing contact with said first engaging rim of said disk wheel,
(e) a second pressure releasing step of releasing air from said tire through said second gap, and
(f) a second releasing step of pressing said first side wall of said tire from outside to release said first tire bead rim of said tire from said first engaging rim of said disk wheel.
A series of the above steps (a) through (f) may be repeated once or two or more times.
In the second aspect of the present invention, high-pressure air is injected into the tire to bring the tire bead rim thereof into pressing contact with the engaging rim of the dis
Kimbara Toshiyuki
Shimizu Shigeru
Central Motor Wheel Co., Ltd.
Smith James G.
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