Wheel Balancing Weights with Grooves for Automated Dispensing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional ballasting weights for wheel balancing are difficult to automatically dispense and apply, and often fail to remain securely attached to the wheel rim under centrifugal forces.

Innovation Solution

The development of ballasting weights with a specific cross-sectional profile featuring notches that facilitate automatic dispensing and application, and stress relief notches for easier bending, allowing them to be securely attached to the wheel rim using a device that positions and adheres them adjacent to the flange lip.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If conventional ballasting weights are used, then they can be attached to wheel rims, but they are difficult to automatically dispense and apply

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomatic dispensing and applicationVSAvoiddifficulty to dispense and apply

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The ballasting weight is divided into multiple individual weights (chicklets) bonded to a strip, allowing the strip to be automatically fed and individual weights to be dispensed one at a time to the wheel rim, enabling automated application while maintaining ease of operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A dispensing device with a jaw mechanism serves as an intermediary between the ballasting weight strip and the wheel rim, automatically positioning and attaching the weights without direct manual handling, thus achieving automation while simplifying the operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If conventional ballasting weights are used, then they can be attached to wheel rims, but they fail to remain securely attached under centrifugal forces

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecure attachmentVSAvoidcentrifugal forces

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The ballasting weights are formed with a curved cross-sectional profile that matches the curvature of the wheel rim flange, allowing them to conform to the rim surface and remain securely attached even under centrifugal forces during wheel rotation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The width-to-thickness ratio of the ballasting weights is optimized to be between 1.0 and 2.3, creating a geometry that provides sufficient bending flexibility to conform to the rim while maintaining enough structural integrity to resist detachment under centrifugal loading

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Extent of automation

If ballasting weights with notches are used, then automatic dispensing is facilitated, but the structural integrity may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomatic dispensingVSAvoidstructural integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The notches that facilitate automatic dispensing and positioning actually strengthen the ballasting weight by creating a geometry that distributes stresses more effectively during attachment and operation, preventing structural failure while enabling automation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS10428900B2Wheel balancing weights, and methods and devices for using same

Publication Date: 2019.10.01 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES CO

AI summary

A ballasting weight (20) having a length, width, thickness, first side, second side, top, and bottom, and a cross-sectional profile comprising a notch forming a groove (28) extending longitudinally along the length of the first side of the ballasting weight (20), wherein the groove (28) is operatively adapted so as to facilitate the automatic dispensing and/or applying of the ballasting weight (20), e.g., on the rim flange of a wheel rim adjacent to its flange lip, and a device for so dispensing and/or applying the ballasting weight.