Wheel separation tool

Abstract

To provide a wheel separation tool and a wheel separation method for separating a wheel fixed to a hub in a novel manner, which can separate a wheel fixed to a hub with simple operations and are usable irrespective of wheel diameter.SOLUTION: A wheel separation tool 10 is for separating a wheel with a tire fixed to a hub disposed at an axle end of a vehicle being jacked up from the hub. The wheel separation tool 10 has an inclined plane on which a wheel T with a tire can be placed, and is set at a descent position of the wheel with a tire when the vehicle is jacked down from a jacked-up state such that the inclined plane is inclined in the axle direction of an axle S.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wheel separation tool used when separating a wheel fixed to a hub of a vehicle from the hub.

Background Art

[0002] Wheels for vehicles such as trucks and buses have a hub hole provided at the center of the wheel, and 8 to 10 bolt holes are provided around the hub hole. On the other hand, on the hub, the same number of wheel bolts (stud bolts) as the bolt holes on the wheel side are erected, and the wheel bolts are inserted into each bolt hole and fixed by tightening with wheel nuts.

[0003] When inspecting the hub or replacing the tire, the wheel nuts screwed onto the wheel bolts are removed, and the wheel is removed from the wheel bolts. However, wheels that have been used for a long time may be stuck to the wheel mounting surface of the hub due to rust and may not be easily pulled out.

[0004] Therefore, tools for separating the wheel from the hub have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a tire wheel extractor including a center bolt that abuts against the center position of the hub, a bracket having a female screw that engages with the center bolt and having a plurality of arms protruding laterally, a support plate whose one end is pivotally fixed to each arm of the bracket, and a hook portion provided with a claw at the tip where the other end of the support plate is pivotally fixed. In the extraction operation using this extractor, the center bolt is abutted against the center position of the hub, the claw of the hook portion is hooked on the decorative hole of the wheel located at a position point-symmetrical from the center of the hub, and the handle attached to the center bolt is rotated multiple times to move the bracket that engages with the center bolt in a direction away from the hub. Thereby, the wheel hooked on the claw of the hook portion can be pulled out as the bracket moves.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a wheel puller, a tool in which a pair of arched frames are attached to one end of a long lever. This tool is used to pull a wheel with a tire away from the hub by applying the tip of the arched frame to the tire portion and swinging it. When using this tool to pull away a wheel of a double tire (rear tire) such as a truck from the hub, it is described that the free end of the arched frame is brought into contact with the tire corner on the outer edge of the outer tire, close to the inner tire, and the lever is swung to pull the wheel away from the hub. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3142005 Publication [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 2,517,631 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] To separate a wheel from a hub using the extraction tool described in Patent Document 1, it was necessary to repeatedly turn a handle attached to the center bolt by hand, which required considerable effort when done manually.

[0008] On the other hand, while the tool described in Patent Document 2 allows for the removal of the wheel using a "lever action," the existence of many different types of wheels with varying diameters and shapes means that a single type of arched frame may not be applicable to all of them. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare multiple types of arched frames to match the wheel diameter and shape.

[0009] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a wheel separation tool and wheel separation method that allows for the separation of a wheel fixed to a hub in a manner different from conventional methods, enabling the separation of a wheel fixed to a hub with simple operations, and that can be used regardless of the size of the wheel diameter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The wheel separation tool of the present invention, which was developed to solve the above problems, is a wheel separation tool for separating a wheel with a tire attached to a hub, which is fixed to a hub provided at the end of the axle of a jacked-up vehicle, from the hub, wherein the wheel separation tool has an inclined surface on which the wheel with a tire can be placed, and is installed so as to be inclined toward the axial direction of the axle at the lowered position of the wheel with the tire when the jack is lowered from the jacked-up state. Here, the angle between the inclined surface and the installation surface (angle of inclination) is preferably in the range of 5 to 25 degrees. However, it is not necessary for the entire inclined surface to be at a constant angle, and multiple inclined surfaces with different angles within the above angle range (for example, three inclined surfaces at 5 degrees, 10 degrees, and 20 degrees) may be arranged side by side.

[0011] In this invention, with the vehicle jacked up and the wheel with tire attached suspended, the wheel separation tool of the present invention is installed with its inclined surface facing the axis of the axle at the lowered position of the tire on the wheel after the jack is lowered, and the wheel nuts that fasten the wheel with tire attached to the wheel bolts on the wheel mounting surface of the hub are loosened. For example, it is preferable to loosen the wheel nuts by about two turns, leaving about half of them evenly distributed in the circumferential direction, and then remove the remaining wheel nuts. When the vehicle is jacked down in this state, the vertical weight of the vehicle body will be supported by the tire on the wheel with tire attached, but as the tire descends onto the inclined surface of the wheel separation tool, the tire will try to tilt along the inclined surface. At this time, a component force is applied in the direction that separates the contact surface between the wheel mounting surface of the hub and the wheel. Therefore, even if the wheel mounting surface of the hub and the wheel are fixed together, it becomes possible to separate the wheel from the hub by utilizing a portion of the vehicle's weight. Furthermore, by setting the angle between the inclined surface and the contact surface to 5 to 25 degrees, it is possible to prevent excessive force from being applied in the direction that separates the wheel mounting surface from the contact surface with the wheel, thus enabling safe separation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, by simply jacking up the vehicle, loosening the wheel nuts, and positioning the inclined surface of the wheel separation tool with the axle facing the wheel at the lowering position (directly below) of the wheel with the tire attached, and then lowering the jack and placing the tire on the inclined surface, it is possible to separate a wheel that is stuck to the hub. Moreover, since the force for separation is applied as long as the tire is placed on the inclined surface of the wheel separation tool, it can be used regardless of the size of the wheel diameter.

[0013] In the above invention, the inclined surface is formed from a rectangular plate, and a support wall is provided extending downward from the end on the higher side. A reinforcing plate perpendicular to the support wall and the inclined surface may also be provided on the lower side of the rectangular plate. This allows a wheel separation tool to be manufactured from a plate material, and by providing a reinforcing plate, the force applied when a wheel with a tire is placed on the inclined surface can be distributed and supported by the support wall and the reinforcing plate, making it possible to create a portable tool that can be used even for vehicles with heavy body weights.

[0014] In the above invention, the support wall may be integrally formed with the rectangular plate forming the inclined surface by curving the higher end of the rectangular plate. This makes processing easier, and because the higher end is curved, the corner portion can be rounded, resulting in a shape that is relatively safe even if an object or person collides with it. In the above invention, a handle may be provided on the support wall. This makes it easier to carry, and also makes it easier to move the installation position of the inclined surface or orient it in the axle axis direction using the handle.

[0015] Furthermore, a wheel separation method of the present invention, as made from a different perspective, is a wheel separation method for separating a wheel with a tire attached to a hub provided at the end of an axle of a vehicle from the hub, comprising the steps of: jacking up the vehicle to levitate the wheel with the tire; loosening a plurality of wheel nuts that fasten the wheel with the tire to the wheel bolts on the wheel mounting surface of the hub, leaving at least some of them loosened as nuts to prevent the wheel from falling off, and removing the wheel nuts other than the nuts to prevent the wheel from falling off; and setting a wheel separation tool having an inclined surface on which the wheel with the tire can be placed, at the lowered position of the wheel with the tire when the jack is lowered, such that the inclined surface is inclined in the axial direction of the axle; and jacking up the vehicle to place the tire of the wheel with the tire on the inclined surface of the wheel separation tool and apply a load to the wheel.

[0016] According to the wheel separation method of the present invention, by adjusting the number of rotations (the length of retreating the nut from the tightened state) of the wheel nut used as the nut for preventing detachment, and using the inclined surface of the wheel separation tool installed at the descending position of the wheel with a tire, it is possible to easily separate the wheel in a fixed state safely without detaching the tire simply by jacking down.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] Perspective view of a wheel separation tool which is an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Plan view of the wheel separation tool of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] Front view of the wheel separation tool of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view of a wheel with a tire. [Figure 5] Flowchart for explaining the procedure of a wheel separation method which is an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] View showing the state where the wheel separation tool of FIG. 1 is installed at the tire descending position. [Figure 7] View for explaining the separation operation by the wheel separation tool of FIG. 1. [Figure 8] Front view of a wheel separation tool which is another embodiment of the present invention.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, details of the present invention will be described based on examples. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a wheel separation tool 10 which is an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is its plan view, and FIG. 3 is its front view.

[0019] The wheel separation tool 10 is composed of a top plate 11, a support wall 12, and reinforcing plates 13a, 13b, and 13c for reinforcing the top plate 11 and the support wall 12. The top plate 11 and the support wall 12 are made of rectangular plates. The support wall 12 is provided so as to extend vertically downward from the higher end 11a of the top plate 11, so that the upper surface (surface) of the top plate 11 becomes an inclined surface. The other (lower) end 12a of the support wall 12 and the lower end 11b of the top plate 11 are set on the ground or the like. The inclination angle between the top plate 11 and the ground (set surface) is 5 to 25 degrees, preferably 5 to 15 degrees, more preferably 8 to 12 degrees, and in this embodiment it is set to 10 degrees. In this embodiment, the top plate 11 and the support wall 12 are formed integrally using rectangular checkered plates, with the top plate 11 curving rounded at its end 11a.

[0020] Furthermore, on the underside (back) of the top plate 11, three roughly triangular reinforcing plates 13a, 13b, and 13c are welded to the top plate 11 and the support wall 12. The load applied to the top plate 11 is distributed and supported by the support wall 12 and the reinforcing plates 13a, 13b, and 13c, reinforcing it so that it can withstand the weight even when a wheel with tires from a large vehicle such as a truck is placed on it. Furthermore, the support wall 12 is equipped with a handle 14 for easy transport, which allows for easy adjustment of the installation position.

[0021] The size of the top plate 11 does not need to completely cover the entire width of a large vehicle's tire; it is sufficient for a portion of the tire to rest on the top plate 11 and be stable in an inclined position. Considering portability and ease of movement, a smaller size is more convenient. Specifically, a size of approximately 300mm in the inclined surface direction (longitudinal direction) and 200mm in the lateral direction is sufficient for use with the tires of large vehicles.

[0022] <Mounting structure between hub and wheel> To explain the separation operation using the wheel separation tool 10, we will first describe the mounting structure between the hub and the wheel using a large vehicle such as a truck as an example. Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the state in which the double tires (inner tires) of the rear wheel of a truck are mounted on the hub. Note that the outer tires of the double tires are not shown. The hub shape of trucks and the like differs between the front wheels, which have single tires, and the rear wheels, which have double tires. Also, the wheel shape differs between ISO-standard wheels and JIS-standard wheels. Although there are some differences from Figure 4 in all cases, the method of separation using the wheel separation tool 10 of the present invention is basically the same.

[0023] The hub 31, which is attached to the end of the axle S, is provided with a ring-shaped flange portion 33 whose front side is the wheel mounting surface 32. A brake drum 34 is in contact with the rear side of the flange portion 33. Bolt holes are formed in the flange portion 33 and the brake drum 34, and they are fixed together by fastening wheel bolts 35 and wheel nuts 36. The wheel bolts 35 are stud bolts with male threads formed on both the front and rear sides.

[0024] The wheel with tire T consists of a tire 40 and a wheel 41. The wheel 41 consists of a disc portion 42 with a hub hole formed in the center for fitting the hub 31, and a rim portion 43 on the outside of the disc portion 42 where the tire 40 is mounted. The rear side of the disc portion 42, around the hub hole, is designated as the hub mounting surface 44, and bolt holes for passing wheel bolts 35 are formed therein. In addition, a number of decorative holes 45 are formed on the outer circumference of the hub mounting surface 44.

[0025] The wheel 41 and the hub 31 are attached by passing the wheel bolts 35 through the bolt holes in the disc portion 42, and then tightening them with wheel nuts 46 while the hub mounting surface 44 and the wheel mounting surface 32 are in contact. If this condition persists for a long period, the hub mounting surface 44 and the wheel mounting surface 32 will rust and become firmly fixed together, making it impossible to separate the hub mounting surface 44 and the wheel mounting surface 32 simply by loosening the wheel nuts 46.

[0026] <Separation operation> Next, we will explain the separation operation using the wheel separation tool 10. Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure for the separation operation using the wheel separation tool 10.

[0027] First, jack up the vehicle to lift the wheel T with the tire attached (S1). Next, as shown in Figure 6, the wheel nuts 46 that fasten the disc portion 42 to the wheel bolts 35 at the wheel mounting surface 32 are loosened (S2a). It is preferable to leave at least some of the loosened wheel nuts 46 as nuts to prevent them from falling off, and remove the wheel nuts 46 other than those used to prevent them from falling off. For example, in the case of a truck, the wheel is fastened with 8 or 10 wheel nuts 46, but half of these, 4 or 5 wheel nuts 46, are removed, leaving them evenly distributed in the circumferential direction, and the remaining 4 or 5 wheel nuts 46 are left loosened on the wheel bolts 35 to be used as nuts to prevent them from falling off (for example, left with the screws loosened by about 2 to 5 turns). Note that for safety reasons, at least one nut must be left to prevent it from falling off, but all of them may be loosened and left as nuts to prevent them from falling off. In parallel with this, as shown in Figure 6, the wheel separation tool 10 is placed in the lowered position when the jack is lowered, directly below the tire 40 (S2b). Furthermore, the order in which the procedure for loosening the wheel nut 46 (S2a) and the procedure for setting the wheel separation tool 10 in the lowered position (S2b) is performed does not matter; either can be done first.

[0028] Next, the vehicle is jacked down and the tire 40 is slowly lowered and placed on the inclined surface of the wheel separation tool 10 (S3). As the tire 40 (or at least a portion of it) rides onto the inclined surface of the wheel separation tool 10, the wheel with the tire tilts, as shown in Figure 7, and a force (load) is applied in the direction that separates the disc portion 42 and the wheel mounting surface 32, allowing it to be separated from the hub.

[0029] Although typical embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified or changed as appropriate within the scope of achieving the objectives of the present invention without departing from the claims.

[0030] For example, Figure 8 is a front view of a wheel separation tool 50, which is another embodiment of the present invention. This wheel separation tool 50 differs from the wheel separation tool 10 (see Figures 1-3) in that the top plate 11 and reinforcing plates 13a, 13b, and 13c are replaced with a top plate 51 and reinforcing plates 53a, 53b, and 53c. Specifically, the top plate 51 is made by bending a rectangular plate, and three divided inclined surfaces 51a, 51b, and 51c are arranged side by side so that the inclination angles with the ground (installation surface) are 5°, 10°, and 20°. Accordingly, the reinforcing plates 53a, 53b, and 53c (53a and 53b are not shown because they are located on the far side of the paper from 53c) are polygonal in shape. By using this wheel separation tool 50, the lowering position of the tire when jacking down can be selected from one of the divided inclined surfaces 51a, 51b, or 51c, and the magnitude of the component force (load) in the direction of separating the contact surface between the disc portion 42 and the wheel mounting surface 32 can be adjusted.

[0031] Furthermore, although the wheel separation tool in the above embodiment was made of checkered plate (iron), it may also be made of a triangular prism-shaped block material. In that case, it is preferable to use a lightweight material (light metal, etc.) so as not to increase the weight. [Industrial applicability]

[0032] This invention can be used in automobile repair shops and other similar facilities as a tool for separating wheels from hubs. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0033] 10 Wheel Separation Tools 11 Top plate 12 Supporting wall 13a, 13b, 13c Reinforcement plate 14. Handle 31 Hubs 32 Wheel mounting surface 33 Flange section 35 Wheel bolts (stud bolts) 36 Wheel Nuts 40 tires 41 wheels 42 Disk section 43 Rim section 44 Hub mounting surface 46 Wheel Nuts 50 Wheel Separation Tools 51 Top plate 51a, 51b, 51c split slope 53a, 53b, 53c Reinforcement plate S-axle T-wheel with tire

Claims

1. A wheel separation tool for separating a wheel with a tire attached to a hub located at the end of the axle of a jacked-up vehicle from the hub, The wheel separation tool, when installed, is inclined at an angle of 5° to 25° with respect to the installation surface and has an inclined surface on which the wheel with the tire can be placed. A wheel separation tool is installed such that the inclined surface is tilted toward the axial direction of the axle when the wheel with the tire is lowered from a jacked-up position.

2. The wheel separation tool according to claim 1, wherein the inclined surface is formed of a rectangular plate, a support wall is provided extending downward from the end on the higher side, and a reinforcing plate perpendicular to the support wall and the inclined surface is provided on the lower side of the rectangular plate.

3. The wheel separation tool according to claim 2, wherein the support wall is integrally formed with the rectangular plate forming the inclined surface by curving the higher end of the rectangular plate.

4. The wheel separation tool according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a handle is provided on the support wall.

5. A wheel separation method for separating a wheel with a tire attached to a hub located at the end of an axle of a vehicle from the hub, The process involves jacking up the vehicle and lifting the wheel with the tire attached, The process involves loosening the multiple wheel nuts that fasten the wheel with the tire to the wheel bolts on the wheel mounting surface of the hub, leaving at least some of them loosened as nuts to prevent the wheel from falling off, removing the wheel nuts other than the nuts to prevent the wheel from falling off, and installing a wheel separation tool, which has an inclined surface that is inclined at an angle of 5 to 25° between the inclined surface and the mounting surface, at the lowered position of the wheel with the tire when the jack is lowered, with the inclined surface facing in the axial direction of the axle. A wheel separation method comprising the steps of: jacking down the vehicle; placing the tire of the wheel with the tire on the inclined surface of the wheel separation tool to apply a load to the wheel.

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