Land vehicles: wheels and axles – Wheel – Balancing device
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-24
2003-07-15
Stormer, Russell D. (Department: 3617)
Land vehicles: wheels and axles
Wheel
Balancing device
Reexamination Certificate
active
06592188
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wheel balance weight, which is installed to a wheel of a tire in a vehicle so as to cancel the unbalance in the wheel. Specifically, it relates to a wheel balance weight, which is fastened by an adhesive tape onto an inner peripheral surface of a rim in the wheel.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a wheel-assembled state; namely: in a state where a tire of an automobile, or the like, is assembled with a wheel, there arises a drawback in that, as the unbalance enlarges in the peripheral direction around the rotary shaft of the wheel assembly as well as in the direction of the rotary shaft of the wheel assembly, the vibrations, noises, and the like, generate when driving a vehicle.
The vibrations and noises result from the unbalance in the wheel. Accordingly, the wheel is equipped with a wheel balance weight, which can cancel the unbalance. The installation position of the wheel balance weight to the wheel and the mass of the wheel balance weight are determined by measuring the unbalance of the wheel assembly with a special purpose measuring apparatus.
As one of the conventional wheel balance weights, there has been, for example, a wheel balance weight, which is installed to an inner peripheral surface of a rim in the wheel by bonding a substantially plate-shaped weight, having a predetermined mass, by means of an adhesive tape, etc.
When the conventional wheel balance weight is manufactured, the weight is formed as a flat plate shape. When it is installed to the rim in the wheel, the weight is curved along the inner peripheral surface of the rim in the wheel. Specifically, the conventional wheel balance has been dealt with in the aforementioned manner, because the curvature of the inner peripheral surface of the rim, to which the wheel balance weight is installed, depends on wheels to be equipped with tires.
In the conventional wheel balance weight, the weight has been formed of lead, which is one of soft materials. The weight, which is formed of lead, can be readily processed, and can be readily molded with a manual labor. However, it has been known that lead put a large load onto environment when it is abolished. Consequently, ferrous alloys, which put a less load onto environment, have come to be employed as a material for the weight.
In a wheel balance weight, which is installed to the inner peripheral surface of the rim in the wheel by bonding a weight, which is formed of a ferrous alloy in the form of a substantially strip shape, with an adhesive tape, etc., there arises a problem in that a large force is required when the wheel balance weight is installed to the wheel.
Specifically, when installing the conventional wheel balance weight, it is also necessary to mold the weight, which is composed of a ferrous alloy, into a curved shape conforming to the inner peripheral surface of the rim in the wheel. However, because ferrous alloys exhibit a high hardness, an extra labor is required to carry out the molding.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been developed in view of the aforementioned circumstances. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a wheel balance weight, which can be readily installed to a wheel.
In order to carry out the object, the inventors of the present invention thought of making a wheel balance weight with a plurality of weights and a regulatory member for inhibiting the plurality of weights from moving. Thus, the inventors discovered that it was possible to solve the problems, which were associated with the conventional wheel balance weight.
For example, a wheel balance weight according to the present invention is characterized in that it comprises: a plurality of weights; an adhesive sealing member, having an adhesive surface to be bonded to an inner peripheral surface of a rim in a wheel, for fastening the plurality of weights onto the inner peripheral surface; and a regulatory member for inhibiting at least two of the plurality of weights, being disposed to neighbor with each other, from moving by a predetermined magnitude or more.
Since the present wheel balance weight has the plurality of weights, it is likely to conform to an inner peripheral surface of a rim in a wheel when it is installed to the inner peripheral surface of the rim in the wheel. Moreover, in the present wheel balance weight, since the regulatory member inhibits at least two of the weights from moving by a predetermined magnitude or more, it does not bend between the two weights before the present wheel balance weight is installed to a wheel. Thus, it is possible to deal with the present wheel balance weight with ease.
In addition, it is possible to adjust the number of the weights by cutting the regulatory member and adhesive sealing member between the plurality of weights. Thus, it is possible to give a desired mass to the present wheel balance weight.
The present wheel balance weight deal can be dealt with readily, because the regulator member inhibits at least two of the weights from moving by a predetermined magnitude or more so that it does not bend between the two weights before it is installed to a wheel.
Further, the present wheel balance weight is likely to conform to an inner surface of a rim in a wheel when it is installed to the inner peripheral surface, because it has the plurality of weights.
Furthermore, the number of the weights can be adjusted by cutting the regulatory member and the adhesive sealing member between the plurality of weights. The present wheel balance weight can make a wheel balance weight, which has a desired mass.
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patent: 99/00609 (1999-01-01), None
patent: 99/55924 (1999-11-01), None
Jacobson & Holman PLLC
Stormer Russell D.
Toho Kogyo Co., Ltd.
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